The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers tip off the NBA’s In-Season Tournament semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday, with a spot in Saturday’s championship game on the line.
On Tuesday in the quarterfinals, the Bucks routed the Knicks, 146-122, as 4.5-point home favorites.
With their offense starting to kick into full gear, they hit a ridiculous 60.5 percent from three-point range and 60.4 percent overall.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 35 points, 10 assists and eight boards, while Damian Lillard added 28 points and five of the Bucks’ 23 three-pointers.
On Monday, the Pacers rallied past the Celtics, 122-112, as 4.5-point home underdogs to advance to the semifinals.
Tyrese Haliburton paced Indiana with a triple-double, scoring 26 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 13 assists.
In the first matchup between these teams on Nov. 9 in Indianapolis, the Pacers outlasted the Bucks, 126-124. Antetokounmpo scored 54 points in the game, but Lillard sat out with calf soreness.
Pacers vs. Bucks prediction
(5 p.m. ET)
That game went over the total of 239.5, but for Thursday it has jumped to as high as 255 at some books for this neutral-site matchup. That would make it the highest NBA over/under since at least 1995, eclipsing the Pacers-Hawks 253 total on Nov. 21.
The Pacers edged the Hawks in Atlanta, 157-152, accounting for the highest game total this season (309) and the 16th-highest in NBA history.
Milwaukee began the season covering only once in its first 10 games, but the Bucks have turned it around with an 8-3 record against the spread in the past 11 contests.
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Indiana has been the most exciting team this season with its dynamic offense, but the Pacers’ defense hasn’t been great and it will be interesting to see how they can slow down Antetokounmpo and Lillard.
As tempting as the over is with these two teams, the number is at historic levels.
Instead, let’s lay the points with Milwaukee to advance to the tournament finals.
Pick: Bucks -5 (BetMGM)