Milwaukee Bucks (18-11) vs Indiana Pacers (12-17)
Game Info: Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 8:00 pm (Fiserv Forum)
Betting Odds: Milwaukee Bucks -2 -- Over/Under: Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Indiana Pacers invade the Fiserv Forum to battle the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
The Indiana Pacers haven’t been at their best lately, but they were riding a three-game win streak before getting stopped by the Warriors in a 102-100 home loss on Monday. Domantas Sabonis led the team with 30 points and 11 rebounds on 12 of 17 shooting, Malcolm Brogdon added 23 points with six rebounds and eight assists while Caris LeVert chipped in with 19 points and five assists. As a team, the Pacers shot just 40 percent from the field and seven of 30 from the 3-point line as they jumped all over the Warriors in the first half to lead by as many as nine points, but they couldn’t keep up the pace in the second half and eventually tumbled in the fourth quarter as the Warriors closed the final 1:48 on a 9-2 run to snatch the game from them late. Jeremy Lamb scored just five points on one of seven shooting off the bench, while Myles Turner finished with just six points on one of 10 shooting.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have been in red-hot form as they’ve won 12 of their past 15 games, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after getting stopped in their tracks by the Celtics in a 117-103 road loss on Monday. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday each scored 20 points, Pat Connaughton added 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Bobby Portis chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Bucks shot 44 percent from the field and 11 of 36 from the 3-point line as they hit the ground running to jump out to an early 12-point lead, before getting completely dominated the rest of the way as they had no answer for the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum who scorched them for 42 points on 16 of 25 shooting. Khris Middleton had a night to forget as he scored just four points on two of eight shooting.
Looking at the betting trends, the Pacers are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games against a team with a winning record and 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games overall. The Bucks are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games, 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games against a team with a losing record, and 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
Head to head, the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings overall, the Pacers are 0-6 ATS in the last six meetings in Milwaukee and the Pacers are 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings overall.
Khris Middleton is considered questionable for the Bucks while Giannis Antetokounmpo has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, so the Bucks will be shorthanded in this one. The Pacers came alive with three wins in four games, and they were close to taking down the Warriors on Monday, so they’re definitely playing some good basketball at the moment. The Pacers are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 games against a team with a winning record, and I think they will be good enough to take advantage of the Bucks in this spot.
Randy’s Pick Indiana Pacers +2
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
Follow Randy Chambers on Twitter @WizardOf0dds