Bucks vs Magic Game 2 Odds, Lines and Spread

• The Orlando Magic stunned the Milwaukee Bucks 122-110 on Tuesday and lead the series 1-0
• Game 2 of the series goes on Thursday night at 6:00 PM ET
• See odds, spread and betting advice within the story below

The Orlando Magic surprised a lot of people when they not only beat the Milwaukee Bucks, but controlled them fairly handily in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference series.

With the Bucks being the No. 1 seed and the favorite to win the East, these types of hiccups against a No. 8 seed were not expected.

Can the Bucks right the ship in Game 2 and get on the board or will the Magic really put a scare into Milwaukee?

Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 2 Odds

Odds as of August 19th

What Happened to the Bucks?

Game 1 was definitely bizarre to see since the Bucks had swept the season series with Orlando. Seeing the Bucks trail by 18 in the first half and watching Brook Lopez kick chairs is not how we expected this playoff run to begin. What’s concerning is that Orlando didn’t even play their best game.

For the Bucks, part of it is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He scored 31 points while adding 17 rebounds and seven assists, so on the surface, it might seem tough to fault him. At the same time, he didn’t hit a field goal in the final 11 minutes of the game. That’s not going to cut it.

Milwaukee is 0-9 this season when trailing by 10+ points entering the 4th quarter.

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) August 18, 2020

The main issue for the Bucks was their defense, as they allowed the Magic to score 122 points on 49.4% shooting.

Milwaukee held opponents to 108.6 points per game this season and posted a league-best 41.4% opponent field goal percentage. The Magic hit their shots, which cutoff the Bucks transitional opportunities. Better defense for the Bucks should fix that.

Can Magic Get Even Better?

It’s odd to think that the Magic, who won by 12, could actually play even better. When you realize that Evan Fournier, the team’s second-leading scorer, had just nine points – and Aaron Gordon, the team’s fourth-leading scorer – did not play, you start to see how it’s possible this team could improve.

https://twitter.com/ayruuus/status/1295789883898892290

The real question for Orlando will be the supporting cast. Gary Clark (15), Markelle Fultz (15), D.J. Augustin (11) and James Ennis III (11) all hit double-figures. That produced a really balanced effort. Many of those guys will need to deliver again if they’re to go up 2-0.

Game 2 Betting Advice

The Magic vs Bucks odds for Game 2 shows Milwaukee as 12.5-point favorites, but i wouldn’t lay the points. I am expecting a Bucks bounceback in Game 2. The Magic got the win in Game 1, playing what was arguably their best effort in the bubble. They had lost five of six before that.

The real key to Game 2 is simply going to be the Bucks defense and their fastbreak points.

As mentioned, the Bucks defense was not great in Game 1. The Magic made a lot of shots and that kept Milwaukee from running. Playing in more of a half court set up, they struggled. Milwaukee’s defense will step up in Game 2 and that will lead to more misses.

Bucks trail 52-62 going into halftime. Here is what Bud should say at halftime:
1. Play better defense
2. Stop turning the ball over
3. Give the ball to Giannis
4. Everyone else do better

— Brew Hoop 🏆🦌 (@brewhoop) August 18, 2020

The Bucks were third in the NBA in fast break points, averaging 17.9 per game. They had just 10 in Game 1 but that will change. As mentioned, I don’t love the Bucks -12.5 and I definitely wouldn’t play the moneyline, so I would instead look for an under as their defense corrects the errors from Game 1.