The Milwaukee Bucks have now dropped the second game of the series after coming out of the gate hot and they will trek to Indiana in an attempt to take at least one game on the road in this playoff series against the Pacers in this Friday night playoff matchup. We take a look at this matchup to make a Bucks-Pacers prediction and pick.

Milwaukee Bucks (50-34) got off to a roaring start in game one against the Indiana Pacers. They were up as much as 27 points during the first half and didn't let up in the second half downing the Pacers 109-94 in game one.

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However, game two was a completely different story. While Damian Lillard did attempt to put the team on his back again with 34 points, he didn't get much help outside of Brook Lopez (22 points), Kris Middleton (15 points), and Bobby Portis (14 points).

This game showed that this team without Giannis Antetokounmpo is no better than when it was Lillard in Portland. It will be up to Lillard and company to turn things around and avoid going down in the series when they head to Indiana on Friday night.

Indiana Pacers (48-37) came out flat in that first game of the series against Milwaukee. They let the Bucks have their way with them in the first half and they just couldn't play catch up as they were downed in their first matchup.

However, they made that all back in the second game when they shot lights out from the floor and 3-point range. While Tyrese Haliburton didn't have a stellar performance the Pacers were still able to get it done on the back of Pascal Siakam who had one of his best playoff performances scoring 37 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Pacers starting five were a well-oiled machine throughout the game where all five players scored in double figures. They will be looking to keep their momentum rolling when they play host to the Bucks in game three of the series.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS. INDIANA PACERS FANDUEL ODDS FOR ARR. 26

MONEY LINE

• MILWAUKEE BUCKS: +172
• INDIANA PACERS: -205

SPREAD

• MILWAUKEE BUCKS: +5 (-106)
• INDIANA PACERS: -5 (-114)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER 222.5 (-110)
• UNDER 222.5 (-110)

BEST ODDS FOR MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS. INDIANA PACERS

• The Indiana Pacers are -5-point favorites against the Milwaukee Bucks. FanDuel currently has the best odds at -5 (-114)
• The Milwaukee Bucks are the underdogs by 5 points to cover the spread. DraftKings currently has the best odds at +5 (-108)

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• BetRivers currently has the best odds for the total, which is set at 222.5 (-108) for the over, and (-112) for the under

MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS. INDIANA PACERS INJURY REPORT

MILWAUKEE BUCKS INJURY REPORT

• GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO - OUT - CALF
• JAYLIN GALLOWAY - OUT - ANKLE

INDIANA PACERS INJURY REPORT

• BENNEDICT MATHURIN - OUT FOR SEASON - SHOULDER

WHY MILWAUKEE BUCKS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Milwaukee Bucks looked like they were poised to make a run in this Eastern Conference after a big game one win but that came crashing down after a very disappointing performance in game two. The Bucks looked like they could still compete with Antetokounmpo in that game one victory but in game two they surely missed his presence on both ends of the court.

Now, the Bucks will have to head to Indiana with the series tied 1-1 as Damian Lillard and this Milwaukee Bucks team must battle the high-tempo Pacers on their home court. Lillard will do what he does best and that is put the team on his back and score over 30 points a game but they need their bench to step it up in game three.

In that game two loss, the Bucks' bench players scored a combined 18 points which will not cut it against a team as deep as the Indiana Pacers.

Also, the way the Pacers were able to shoot the ball in game two can not happen in game three or it will lead to their demise. If the Bucks can shore things up both offensively and defensively they have a chance to score the upset on the road and take game three from the Pacers in Indiana.

WHY INDIANA PACERS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Indian Pacers were a bit rusty at the beginning of game one against the Bucks but settled in after the first half. In that second half, the Pacers attempted to make a comeback but they were too far gone ultimately dropping the first game of the series.

However, in game two the Pacers came out like a completely different team and a team that was on a mission as they came away with the 17-point victory.

The Pacers are finally looking like the team that many believed would be coming into the NBA playoffs. The high tempo and 3-point shooting Indiana Pacers are a hard team to combat and when they are at their peak like they were in game two there are not many in the Eastern Conference that can knock them down especially a Milwaukee Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While Haliburton isn't playing up to his All-Star caliber he is still a lethal facilitator and scorer on the court. He will however need to do a better job on the offensive side of the ball if the Pacers want to keep the pressure on the Bucks in this series. We know that Siakam and Myles Turner will do their job but they need Haliburton to step it up and do his as well.

If their big-3 of Haliburton, Siakam, and Turner are on in game three it's hard to see the Bucks having much of a chance of stealing this game in Indiana.

FINAL BUCKS-PACERS PICK & PREDICTION

The Milwaukee Bucks certainly aren't an easy out for any team in the playoffs even without Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, they got paired up with their kryptonite which happens to be the Indiana Pacers who are a team that can run and play in space which is tough for the flat-footed Bucks defense.. We can expect Damian Lillard to have himself a game per usual but the lack of depth behind him will be their demise yet again.

It will be close until the Pacers pull away down the stretch. The Pacers are a team to watch out for in this NBA playoffs as they are sneaky good and they will be good in this Friday night playoff matchup as they go up 2 games to 1 and cover the spread while they are at it.

FINAL BUCKS-PACERS PICK & PREDICTION: INDIANA PACERS -5 (-114)

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