Bucks vs Pacers Odds, Lines & Predictions (Jan. 27)

• Milwaukee is a 7.5 point favorite in the Bucks vs Pacers odds on Friday
• Tyrese Haliburton will miss his ninth straight game with a knee injury
• Keep reading for the latest Bucks vs Pacers odds, plus injury updates and predictions

If you ever wondered how important Giannis Antetokounmpo is to the Bucks, look no further than Milwaukee’s recent results with and without him.

The Bucks (31-17, 12-12 away) dropped three of five games Antetokounmpo missed over the last two weeks, scoring 102 points or fewer three times. In the two games they’ve played since his return, they’re undefeated averaging 128.5 points per outing.

Giannis will be in Milwaukee’s lineup on Friday night in Indiana, when the Bucks take on the shorthanded Pacers (24-26, 16-9 home). Oddsmakers are very bullish on Milwaukee’s win prospects, as they opened as heavy chalk in the NBA odds.

Bucks vs Pacers Odds

Odds as of January 26 at Barstool Sportsbook.

The Bucks are currently favored by 7.5 points, in a game without a total as of Thursday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN, and will mark the second of four meetings between these two teams this season.

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Milwaukee Bucks Betting Analysis

Antetokounmpo missed all that time earlier this month due to knee soreness. He’s looked as good as new since returning however, averaging 31 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. He splashed 33 points in a victory over the Nuggets two nights ago, helping Milwaukee win for the seventh time in the last eight games he’s been in the lineup.

Five of those wins have come by 8 points or more, while the Bucks are 25-12 when he plays this season. Milwaukee enters this game as a top-five NBA Championship odds contender, and sit third in the East, 3.5 games out of first.

Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight:

33 Points
14 Rebounds
4 Assists
3 Steals
60% FG pic.twitter.com/cbWJKuxnBN

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 26, 2023

Defense has been the key to their success so far in 2022-23, as they rank third in defensive rating. The Bucks rank sixth in scoring defense and fourth in enemy field goal percentage, which has helped cover up some offensive warts.

Despite having Giannis on the court for 37 of 48 games, Milwaukee ranks 25th in offensive rating. A big reason for that is a lack of secondary scoring. Khris Middleton has been injured for most of the season. Traditionally the Bucks second option, he finally returned to the lineup earlier this week, and the hope is that he can regain the form he flashed when Milwaukee was making championship runs.

Jrue Holiday has done his best to fill the void, averaging nearly 20 points per outing. The Bucks would prefer him as their third option, as his playmaking and defensive skills are of greater importance. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis meanwhile, are each averaging 14 points per game, but Portis is now out at least two weeks with a knee injury.

Indiana Pacers Betting Analysis

While life is good for Milwaukee with their superstar back in the lineup, the same cannot be said for Indiana. Tyrese Haliburton remains out with a knee injury, and the results have been ugly without him.

The Pacers have lost seven of the eight games he’s sat. They were able to hang in a few of those contests, but the majority have been blowouts. Indiana has lost by double digits in four of their last seven games. That includes a matchup versus these same Bucks, where Milwaukee smoked them 132-119.

The Pacers rank 29th in the league in Net Rating since Haliburton went down, and dead last in offensive rating. To make matters worse, Andrew Nembhard, their number two ball handler, has missed the last two games with an illness and is questionable for Friday.

NBA INJURY ALERT: Pacers C Myles Turner (ankle), SF/PF Aaron Nesmith (wrist) and PG/SG Andrew Nembhard (illness) are listed as questionable for Friday's game vs. the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/9UpWAkDFsw

— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) January 26, 2023

If that wasn’t bad enough, Myles Turner, the team’s leading rebounder and a top-four scorer, popped up on the injury report on Thursday with an ankle injury and is questionable to play against Milwaukee.

Bucks vs Pacers Predictions

Haliburton’s absence has turned the Pacers into a punching bag for spread bettors. Before he got hurt, Indiana was 25-17 ATS, which was one of the best cover rates in the league. Since he went down, they’ve covered just twice in eight games, failing to beat the spread by an average of 6.8 points per game.

NBA Offensive Rating – Last 8 Games

They were performing that miserably with Nembhard and Turner in the lineup, so the thought of both of those players missing as well must be encouraging to Bucks backers.

Milwaukee has covered in five of the last six games Antetokounmpo has played, yielding an average of only 108 points per contest.

Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -7.5 (-110)