The Milwaukee Bucks are 1.5 games up on Indiana in the Central Division and carry a 1-0 season series lead into Bankers Life Fieldhouse tonight on Fox Sports West Indiana. The biggest storyline to watch coming into tonight’s game is the status of the top player on each team as both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Oladipo are battling injuries and have injury designations.
- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana’s last 11 games at home.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee’s last 7 games.
- Milwaukee has the No. 1 scoring offense; Indiana has the No. 1 scoring defense.
Classic Battle: Offense vs Defense
It’s the age-old debate – does a good defense beat a good offense? In most cases, the answer is yes. We will get another instalment in this conversation tonight when Milwaukee’s No. 1 scoring offense at 118.9 points per game runs up against Indiana’s No. 1 scoring defense at 101.4 points per game.
Something to note, though, is that Milwaukee’s offense has slowed down with the cold weather here in December, dropping from 121.1 points per game in November to 111.2 points per game this month. At the same time, Indiana’s defense has been the best it’s been all season through five games in December, holding opponents to 97.8 points per game.
Milwaukee allows the fewest points in the paint at 41.1 per game while Indiana is second in that category at 41.6. It’s no surprise, then, that both teams are on runs of cashing UNDERs, and they’re a combined 6-14 O/U in 20 games.
Status of Oladipo and Giannis
Victor Oladipo has missed 11 games with a knee injury but has been edging closer to a comeback. He practiced on Tuesday but is listed as questionable for tonight. Antetokounmpo sat out Milwaukee’s win over Cleveland on Monday with a neck injury but is probable tonight, as he told the media his neck is fine.
My Bet For Tonight
The total for this game opened at 215 but early betting is starting to push this higher – which is perfect for the bet that I want to make on this game. I’m going to monitor this line during the day and then pounce on an UNDER bet when the total reaches its high point.
As I outlined above, these teams are trending with UNDERs recently and the intensity of a 1 vs 2 divisional game should keep things tight on both ends of the floor. Milwaukee does lead the league in three-pointers made per game but is shooting just 35 percent from beyond the arc in December.
Additionally, Indiana has an average of 98.85 possessions per game, the fifth-slowest pace in the league. The Pacers’ ability to slow down the game will keep points off the clock.
