The Indiana Pacers will be at the BMO Harris Bradley Center to square off against a divisional foe in the Milwaukee Bucks. The game begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 2 and will air on FxI and FWi.
The Bucks come into this game on a high note after defeating the Rockets 128-121 on Monday. Khris Middleton had 30 points, five steals, and four assists for Milwaukee. The Pacers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 100-96 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers on Monday. Paul George played well for Indiana, recording 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
Over the last five games, a number of players have been better than usual for the Bucks. Jabari Parker has led the way, averaging 22.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 0.8 steals. Giannis Antetokounmpo (17.2 PTS, 12.0 REB, 7.8 AST, 1.6 STL, and 2.2 BLK) and Middleton (21.4 PTS, 4.0 REB, 4.4 AST, 3.0 STL, 0.8 BLK, and 1.2 3PM) have also played lights out.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Bucks had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 120-116 win. Middleton was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points.
The Bucks have gone 25-35 Straight Up (SU) and 30-29-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 5-7 SU and 10-2 ATS when playing their division. Milwaukee is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 18.4 points per game.
Over on the other bench, the Pacers have a record of 30-30 ATS and 31-29 SU. In divisional games, Indiana has gone 4-5 SU and ATS. Indiana’s defense tends to perform poorly when they play division rivals. They’ve allowed an average of 107.7 points per game against teams from the Central, higher than their season average of 100.5. Teams seem to consistently miss three-point shots against the Pacers, who are the fifth-best team in the league in terms of three-point field goal percentage allowed at .333. A large part of Indiana’s game is creating turnovers and turning them into points. They are scoring 19.5 points per game off turnovers, which ranks first in the league. The Pacers are in for a physical game against Milwaukee. The Bucks are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.6 fouls per game.
The Bucks’ win over Indiana in their last game couldn’t give them the edge in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, where the Pacers still lead 7-3 SU. The Bucks lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind
Notes
Milwaukee ranks 23rd in points per game with 99.1, while Indiana ranks ninth in points allowed with an average of 100.5 given up.
On average, Milwaukee puts up 102.2 points per home game (ranked 21st), while Indiana gives up 101.8 points per away game (ranked 10th).
The Milwaukee Bucks have a winning record (15-6) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Indiana Pacers are 10-15 when they don’t hit triple digits.
Milwaukee is a losing 10-29 when it allows 100 or more points. Indiana has a 21-14 record when it reaches the century mark.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 102.4 (ranked 21st). The Pacers rank third for their defensive rating of 100.3.
The Indiana Pacers average 100.0 possessions per game and 1.023 points per possession. The Milwaukee Bucks earn fewer possessions with 96.8, but they score more points with 1.024.
The Milwaukee Bucks average an effective field goal percentage of 49.8% this season. The Indiana Pacers have a subpar record of 4-19 when opponents have an EFF% of 49.8% or greater.
Milwaukee makes an average of 23.2 assists per game (ranked eighth), while Indiana makes 20.5 assists per game (ranked 24th).
The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 42.1 per game. The Indiana Pacers average 44.2 rebounds (ranked 12th).
Milwaukee is ranked 29th in defensive rebounds, while Indiana ranks 14th in offensive rebounds.
Indiana is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.6% (ranked sixth). Milwaukee has a subpar record of 8-20 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 15.6% or greater.
