Bucks vs Heat Game 5 Odds and Picks
- Facing elimination, the Milwaukee Bucks are +140 underdogs to the Miami Heat in Tuesday’s Game 5 of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series
- Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) is out for Milwaukee
- See full game odds, spread and total below
Will the Bucks stop here? They certainly turned down the Heat. But was it a one-off, or has Milwaukee finally found a way to cool off Miami?
A 118-115 victory in Game 4 kept the Bucks alive in their best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series. However, the price paid for victory was steep.
Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo left Game 4 after suffering an ankle injury. His status for Game 5 was updated to out an hour ahead of tip off.
Milwaukee’s chances of extending this set to six games is equally questionable. Oddsmakers have established Miami as the -167 favorites to eliminate Milwaukee in Game 5 on Tuesday (6:30 pm ET) in the Heat vs Bucks odds.
Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 5 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | -220 | -5.5 (-107) | O 219 (-110) |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +184 | +5.5 (-114) | U 219 (-110) |
Odds taken Sept. 8th
The Greek Tweak
Antetokounmpo left Game 4 with 10:28 left in the second quarter after suffering a sprained ankle while drawing a foul from Andre Iguodala on a drive to the hoop. His scream echoed through the empty arena.
Giannis remained on the floor for a period of time prior to being assisted to the bench.
The Greek Freak returned to shoot his free throws but then left the game for good. Although he asked to return to action, the fact of the matter was he couldn’t plant or jump on the injured right ankle.
Oh no Giannis 😢 pic.twitter.com/qagyItyY6o
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) September 6, 2020
Giannis also twisted that ankle in Game 3 and left the game for good. He participated in what was a minimal practice for the Bucks on Monday.
In his absence, Khris Middleton stepped up to score 36 points and keep the Bucks alive in the series.
Youth Got Served
Miami’s young, inexperienced roster showed its age in the Game 4 loss. Left with a chance to close out the top seed in the East, a team minus their best player, the Heat took their foot off the gas.
The Heat were the last unbeaten team in the NBA postseason. Miami was seeking to become the first No. 5 seed in NBA history to go 8-0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Urgency. pic.twitter.com/ZswA3T8nLf
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 7, 2020
Not only that, before the Game 4 loss, the Heat were a perfect 7-0 against the spread.
Allowing a 12-point lead to evaporate, the Heat lost for only the fourth time in their last 17 series-closeout opportunities.
Milwaukee Needs Giannis
Don’t buy into the rhetoric that because they won Game 4, the Bucks proved that they don’t need their best player. Giannis scored 19 of Milwaukee’s first 30 points before he left for the night.
The Bucks offense was better lwithout Giannis on the Floor…it was more Player and Ball Movement!!! Carry on… https://t.co/ImLE2YFrmy
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) September 7, 2020
Teams can rally and overcome such a loss in the short term. In the long haul, though, absence of such a valuable piece almost always proves fatal.
This season, the Bucks outscored opponents by 15.4 points per 100 possessions with Giannis on the floor. That margin was 2.4 points when he was sitting.
Bucking a Trend
Milwaukee will be required to make history in order to oust the Heat. No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.
The Heat did much of the same things in Game 4 that they’d accomplished through the first three games.
#MILvsMIA Final: Bucks 118 – HEAT 115
➡️ Bam 26 Pts, 12 Rebs & 8 Asts
➡️ Robinson 20 Pts, 5 Rebs & 3 Asts
➡️ Crowder 18 Pts, 5 Rebs & 3 Asts
➡️ Butler 17 Pts, 5 Rebs, 2 Asts & 2 Stls
➡️ Dragic 17 Pts, 4 Rebs & 8 Asts
➡️ Herro 11 Pts, 4 Rebs & 4 Asts pic.twitter.com/5ygqA8iJ1G— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 6, 2020
Five different players contributed at least 17 points, led by Bam Adebayo’s 26 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Miami held a 51-33 edge in 3-point field goals. At one point, Milwaukee missed 19 consecutive 3-pointers.
The Heat will win and cover in Game 5.
Pick: Miami Heat (-167), -4 (-107).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
