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The Indiana Pacers (12-17) will take on the Milwaukee Bucks (18-11) at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The Pacers are coming off a rough 102-100 loss to the Warriors on Monday after winning three in a row, so they’ll look to bounce back against the defending champs. Milwaukee, after going on a tear recently, has lost two of their last four games, most recently to the Celtics with a 117-103 final score on Monday.
The Pacers are favored to win by 2.5 points, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re at -135 on the moneyline with the Bucks at +115, while the point total is 217 for this game.
Injury updates — Middleton (knee) has been ruled out tonight vs. the Pacers. A reminder, Giannis is also out.
Pacers vs. Bucks, 8:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Pacers -2.5 (-105)
On a normal night with a fully healthy Bucks squad, Milwaukee would be the pick here as they always seem to have the Pacers’ number. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for the contest after entering the league’s health and safety protocols, while Khris Middleton is listed as questionable with a knee injury. Middleton exited in the second half of the loss to the Celtics after what appeared to be a hyperextended knee. If he doesn’t suit up tonight, the Pacers should be able to cover the spread and win the game outright as well.
Over/Under: Under 217 (-110)
With both Giannis and Middleton potentially out, the Bucks will be missing their top two scorers and should be expected to see some offensive struggles. Guys like Pat Connaughton and Jrue Holiday can pick up some of the slack, but Giannis’ 27 points and 11.6 rebounds per game will be missed on both ends of the court. Plus, the Bucks are 11-18 against the over this season while the Pacers are 13-16, finishing under the total more often than not.
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