NBA Picks 3/29 – Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers

NBA Picks 3/29 – Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers

By Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

The Milwaukee Bucks (54-21) visit the Indiana Pacers (33-43) tonight, Milwaukee is an 11.5-point favorite and the total is 236.5. Milwaukee has won 2 of 3 in the season series, Indiana picked up a surprising 139-123 win at Milwaukee on March 16th without All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, they outscored Milwaukee 84-59 in the second half of that game.

Haliburton is also expected to miss tonight’s matchup due to the ankle injury. Milwaukee owns the best record in the NBA at 54-21 and are 2.5 games ahead of Boston. Indiana’s 33-43 record puts them in no-man’s-land as the play-in round/playoffs are out of reach and they’ll end up with too many wins to have a realistic shot at landing the #1 pick.

A MISMATCH?

On paper, this looks to be a mismatch as Indiana will be without third year All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton who averages 20.7 points, 10.4 assists (second in the NBA) 1.6 steals per game and shoots 49% from the floor, 40% from three and 87.1% from the line.

Second leading scorer Miles Turner (18ppg, 7.5 rebs, 2.3 blks) is doubtful for tonight’s game with a back injury. On February 8, 2022, Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton from Sacramento in a blockbuster trade that involved their star big man Domantas Sabonis. 

The trade has worked out for both teams as Sacramento is having their best season in 15+ years and Haliburton has performed like a franchise-player with the Pacers. Haliburton just turned 23 and should be the cornerstone of the Pacers franchise for the foreseeable future as long as he remains healthy. Haliburton missed 24 games as a rookie and 20 games this year with injuries.

Rookie Benedict Mathurin, the 6th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Arizona, has had a terrific rookie season putting up 16.4 ppg and 3.9 rebs, he’s second among rookies in points per game.  

The Milwaukee Bucks have continued their elite level of play this season as they’ve had the NBA’s best record from start to finish, even with their star players missing games with injuries. Seven-time All-Star and 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.1 pts, 11.7 rebs, 5.6 asts, 55% FG) has missed 16 games, second-leading scorer Jrue Holiday (18.9 pts, 7.3 asts, 5.0 rebs, 1.2 stls) has missed 13 games and former 3-time All-Star Khris Middleton has missed 45 games after injuring his knee in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Despite the injuries to their best three players, Milwaukee continues to run like a well-oiled machine thanks to veteran center Brook Lopez who is averaging 15.7 ppg, 6.8 rebs and 2.5 blks (2nd in the NBA) in 73 games and Bobby Portis, who is putting up 13.8 points and a career-high 9.6 rebounds per game. 

THE PICK

This game looks like a mismatch on paper and I think it will end up that way on the floor…Lay the 11.5 with Milwaukee!!