Heat Ready to Send Bucks Packing

Jimmy Butler is surging, Giannis Antetokounmpo is hurting, and the Miami Heat are a win away from a stunning second-round sweep of the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks. Miami enters Game 4 having won each of the first three games despite going into each as the underdog – and oddsmakers have finally switched things up for the first elimination game.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Miami entered as a one-point favorite, but the line has now moved to -2 in the majority of spots. The total kicked off at 219.5, with most books subsequently moving a half-point in either direction.

Milwaukee News & Notes

Antetokounmpo might not be in the lineup for Game 4 as he deals with an ankle injury suffered in Friday's 115-100 setback. His absence would be a significant blow for a Milwaukee team that is already on the ropes, having allowed 114+ points in all three games vs. Miami while averaging just 106 themselves – nearly 13 points below their league-leading season average.

Even if Giannis is in the lineup, the Bucks simply can't lean on him alone. And that means additional pressure on point guard Eric Bledsoe, who is having a dreadful series so far. Bledsoe is averaging a meager 12 points in the series while shooting just 34.8 percent from the field. He has also struggled as a facilitator, averaging 2.5 assists while committing an average of 2.5 turnovers.

Miami News & Notes

Talented players with chips on their shoulders are difficult to stop – and that's a major problem for any other team that has to face the Heat in the 2020 postseason. Butler has been the best player on either side so far, averaging 27.7 points while shooting nearly 48 percent from the field – well above his regular-season marks of 19.9 points and 45.5 percent from the floor.

And if you think momentum counts for anything, it's all in Miami's favor after a stunning Game 3 development that saw the Heat outscore the Bucks 40-13 in the final quarter. In fact, Butler outscored Milwaukee 17-13 by himself. It's the largest fourth-quarter scoring margin in NBA history and the biggest final-quarter comeback in the history of the Heat franchise.

Betting Pick: Heat -2 (-110)

It's hard to see Milwaukee bouncing back from such a stunning late collapse, even if Giannis takes to the court. Miami has been the better team throughout and will be motivated to end this early and snag a little rest before the conference finals.