The Milwaukee Bucks (36-27) and Indiana Pacers (35-28) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Bucks are 2.5-point favorites over the Pacers on the spread (Bucks -2.5), with the over/under set at 235 total points. Milwaukee is a -135 favorite to win outright, while Indiana is +114 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Bucks vs. Pacers predictions and NBA picks for Tuesday, March 11.
Bucks vs. Pacers Picks, Prediction
Spread
My Pacers vs. Bucks best bet is on Milwaukee to cover the spread at -2.5, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. As always, be sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I'm steering clear of the total in tonight's matchup.
My Pick: Bucks -2.5
Bucks vs. Pacers Odds
| Bucks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -108 | 235 -110o / -110u | -135 |
| Pacers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -112 | 235 -110o / -110u | +114 |
- Bucks vs. Pacers spread: Bucks -2.5
- Bucks vs. Pacers over/under: 235 points
- Bucks vs. Pacers moneyline: Bucks -135, Pacers +114
- Bucks vs. Pacers best bet: Bucks -2.5
Bucks vs. Pacers Preview
With just four games on tonight's slate, the Bucks and Pacers get the solo national TV attention tonight. The Pacers won four of the five meetings in the regular season last season and then took Milwaukee out of the first round in six games. If the playoffs started today, they would match up in the first round again. The Bucks hold a one game lead for the fourth seed entering tonight's matchup.
Milwaukee has won both meetings thus far this season and will go for the season series victory. One thing to keep an eye on will be the status of Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers are 35-24 with their All-Star point guard and he has had at least 15 points and eight assists in nine of his last 10 games. He has also been a thorn in the Bucks' side over the last two years.
However, Indiana is 0-4 without Haliburton this season. He has missed the last three games with a hip injury, including a 121-103 loss to the Bulls. As of this writing, the Pacers have not yet submitted their injury report following last night's game, so Haliburton's status remains uncertain and will bear monitoring.
The Bucks enter tonight's game on a losing streak as well, having dropped consecutive games to the Magic and Cavaliers over the weekend. However, they have still won eight of their last 11 games. Damian Lillard has scored 22 points in nine of those games and he is averaging 25.5 points per game this season. Lillard is also averaging 7.1 assists per game, but he has not recorded seven assists in seven consecutive games.
The Bucks acquired Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma at the trade deadline and both of them can create offense for themselves, lessening Lillard's responsibility to create for the team. However, the Bucks' offense continues to run through Giannis Antetokounmpo. The superstar forward has scored 30 points in three consecutive games and is averaging 30.9 points and 12 rebounds per game this season.
Bucks vs. Pacers Prediction
The Bucks and Pacers have nearly identical records against the spread this season, but the Bucks are the team that is playing better right now. They are 7-3-1 ATS over their last 11 games. They have won both meetings thus far this season by at least eight points with Haliburton in the lineup. If Haliburton does not play, I certainly expect that trend to continue with the Bucks having a rest advantage tonight.
A rested Antetokounmpo is a problem for most teams, but particularly Indiana. He has recorded 40 points and rebounds combined in 11 of the last 14 regular season meetings. Indiana is also 28th in points and 22nd in rebounds allowed to power forwards.
Another trend from recent matchups is Myles Turner connecting from deep. He has made at least two 3s in 12 of his last 19 games against Milwaukee, who are 26th in 3s allowed to centers. Turner has also recorded two triples in 16 of his last 18 games against teams that are not the Hawks. Adding the under on Lillard's assists and Bucks moneyline gets tonight's parlay to +500.
Best Bet: Bucks -2.5
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Bucks ML (-135)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo 40 Points + Rebounds (-280)
- Damian Lillard Under 6.5 Assists (-125)
- Myles Turner Over 1.5 Made Three-Pointers (-180)
Parlay Payout: +550 via DraftKings
Pacers vs. Bucks Betting Trends
