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- What: NBA Playoffs first round
- Who: Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- When: Tuesday April 30 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- How to Watch: TNT and ESPN
Throughout the year, one of the biggest surprises in the NBA has been the fantastic play of the Indiana Pacers. Not long ago, this team was a laughingstock and they were never considered threats to go on a deep postseason run. That’s not the case in 2024, though, as Indiana has looked brilliant and they have a lot of teams nervous in the Eastern Conference. Thus far in their first playoff series, they’ve been dominant. With that said, the Pacers are favored over the Bucks in a big Game 5 battle.
Will they be able to come out on top? That’s the expectation, as Pascal Siakam and Co. indeed have been tremendous. They’ve been so good, Indiana is currently up 3-1 in the series against Milwaukee and unless a miracle happens, it’s looking like they’re going to post a 4-1 series win. Should this happen, then people are going to have to start taking this young team seriously about potentially winning the East and competing for a title.
| Pacers vs Bucks Game 5 |  |  |  |
| Pacers to win | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Bucks to win | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over 186 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 186 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Pacers hold -110 NBA playoffs betting odds to take down the Bucks in Game 5. Milwaukee will hope to survive, as they’re listed with +125 NBA betting odds. It’s going to be a tall task for the Bucks to win, especially with this game being a pressure one for them. Having said all of that, we’re no question going with the Pacers as our pick to win and move.
Pacers vs. Bucks: Game 4
the movie 🎞️ pic.twitter.com/GXNK2Qca6c
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 29, 2024
Indiana has improved its NBA Finals betting odds
With the way the Pacers have looked this postseason, it should not be a surprise that Indiana has improved its NBA Finals betting odds. With how strong the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have looked in the regular season and the playoffs, those two teams have been the main focus out East. However, you’ve got to remember that the Pacers have plenty of talent and they’re coached in a way that they could post some big-time upsets over the next few weeks.
Just like the Pacers, the Knicks have looked great in the first round, as they’ve barely broken a sweat going up against the 76ers. With Jalen Brunson playing so well, NY has high hopes to go on a serious run. It’s up in the air if they’ll be able to do so, but the Pacers are going to do whatever is needed to try and prevent that from happening. Siakam is living up to his first-round hype, which has been great to see. Will he be able to keep his strong play going? That’s what a lot of people are hyped up for.
a career-best playoff run continues for Myles Turner 🔥
24.3 PPG | 8.3 RPG | 50.0 3P% | 48.6 FG% pic.twitter.com/5BllQSDDuq
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 29, 2024
As things stand, the Pacers hold +750 NBA Finals betting odds. This is No. 3 in terms of squads out East, as the Boston Celtics remain at the top of the list, while the Knicks are right behind them. Boston could end up taking on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is what a lot of people are hoping for. That’d be an unreal series and it could end up going the distance should it happen. However, let’s not rule out the Pacers, as they’ve caught the attention of analysts.
Indiana has been able to completely turn around their season, which is the main reason a lot of fans have high hopes for them the rest of the way. It will be interesting to see just how far this team can go in the postseason, but we can’t rule anything out for them. At this point, it would not be a surprise at all to see the Pacers post some huge upsets and put themselves in a position to try and battle it out for a trip to the NBA Finals.
The over should hit between the Pacers and Bucks in Game 5
With so much talent on both sides, the over should hit between the Pacers and Bucks in Game 5. We already touched base about Siakam above, but for Indiana, you’ve of course got to bring up the stellar play of Myles Turner. Throughout the season, Turner looked like one of the best big men in the NBA. He averages more than 24 points per game, which is amazing to see. He’s a big reason the Indiana offense is so lethal. Indiana supporters love his game on both ends of the floor.
Turner hasn’t slowed down one bit in the playoffs, which is helping the Pacers cruise through Milwaukee thus far. As we said, the expectation is that the Pacers will be able to post a 4-1 series win here. Then they’ll shift their focus to the next round. In order for the Pacers to keep having a lot of success, they’ll need Turner and Siakam to be at their best. We think this will be the case, including the Game 5 matchup against the Bucks on Tuesday night.
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