Pacers vs Bucks Odds, Spread & Predictions (Jan. 16)

• The Pacers take on the Bucks Monday afternoon
• Indiana is still without Tyrese Haliburton, while Milwaukee gets Giannis Antetokounmpo back after a two-game absence
• Who is the best bet? Find the answer with the Pacers vs Bucks odds, preview, and prediction

Monday’s NBA slate begins at 2:30 pm ET as the Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana Pacers (23-21, 8-12 away) hit the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks (27-16, 16-5 home) at Fiserv Forum. Indiana is currently on a three-game losing streak, while Milwaukee has lost two in a row as well.

The visitors are coming off a blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday evening and continue to struggle without Haliburton. He’s out for two weeks with a knee and elbow injury. The Bucks just dropped back-to-back games with Giannis Antetokounmpo watching from the sidelines with knee soreness. However, he returns Monday.

Pacers vs Bucks Odds

Odds as of January 15th at FanDuel. Claim the latest FanDuel promo codes.

The Bucks are a heavy 11-point home favorite against the shorthanded Pacers with moneyline odds of -650. That’s an 86.67% implied win probability. Indiana sits at +480, with a mere 17.24% chance of coming out victorious.

Milwaukee is also riding an eight-game winning streak against Indy.

Tough Scenes Without Haliburton

The Pacers are undoubtedly one of the most surprising teams in the Association this season, currently sitting in eighth place with a 23-21 record. Frankly, no one thought they would be in the mix for a playoff spot but with several impressive young players and a legitimate weapon down low in Myles Turner, Rick Carlisle’s squad is exceeding expectations.

With that being said, the absence of Haliburton is a crushing blow. While Andrew Nembhard is a promising talent at PG, he’s not capable of making up for the production of Haliburton at this point in his career. We saw just that on Saturday, with Nembhard registering just seven points and seven assists in place of his star teammate.

wheels up to MKE.🛫 pic.twitter.com/RaaQeH1XTK

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 15, 2023

Frankly, Indy was just overwhelmed by the fast-paced Grizzlies, who outscored them 70-46 in the paint and 38-13 in transition. The Pacers are an athletic team on the fastbreak but again, Haliburton plays a key part in that. These next two weeks are going to be very difficult for Carlisle’s group until their point guard is back in the mix.

Bucks Dealing With Their Own Problems

After a hot start, the Bucks are reeling as of late, going just 5-5 in their last 10 outings.  While it doesn’t help that Khris Middleton remains on the shelf with yet another injury, there’s just a lack of consistency offensively from Milwaukee. Their defense and Giannis have truly carried them to third place in the East.

The Greek Freak’s return to the lineup is much-needed Monday, but there are some other health concerns. Jrue Holiday is dealing with an ankle sprain. However, he’s got a probable tag here. Joe Ingles is resting as well. Mike Budenholzer’s team took a beatdown on Sunday with no Antetokounmpo, losing 111-95 to the Miami Heat.

The Bucks have submitted their injury report for their MLK Day game against the Pacers.

OUT: Serge Ibaka, Joe Ingles, Khris Middleton

Probable:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee soreness)
Jrue Holiday (right ankle sprain)
Bobby Portis (right quad contusion)

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) January 15, 2023

The Bucks were bodied on the boards (51-32) and didn’t have a single scorer over 15 points. Although Milwaukee did shoot 40% from deep, they were far too vulnerable in the paint on both ends of the floor, lacking a sense of aggressiveness. Giannis certainly makes up for that. Expect a huge game from the two-time MVP.

Pacers vs Bucks Prediction

This isn’t an easy pick with such a massive spread. It’s important to note that Turner may not play due to back soreness, too. Even with Haliburton unavailable, I feel like Indiana can make it closer than 11 points, as long as the likes of Bennedict Mathurin, Nembhard, Buddy Hield, and Chris Duarte can all do their part offensively. Plus, the Pacers are 19-12 as an ATS underdog. It’s worth a shot.

Pick: Pacers +11 (-108)