Hawks vs. Bucks Game 1 Prediction
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals takes place on Wednesday night when the Bucks host the Hawks at 8:30 p.m. ET from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. With the Bucks listed as a 7.5-point favorite and the total sitting at 226, what’s the top play for this matchup?
Game Snapshot
561 Atlanta Hawks (+7.5) at 562 Milwaukee Bucks (-7.5); o/u 226
9:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Venue: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
TV: TNT
Atlanta Hawks DFS Notes
Trae Young (shoulder) has been cleared to play in Sunday’s Game 7. He was never in doubt and if we’re Nate McMillan, Trae is playing 48 minutes tonight, as this is a win-or-go-home situation. Young has been fabulous in these playoffs and, along with Devin Booker, has been the breakout star of them. The Hawks will start Trae, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, John Collins and Clint Capela tonight, while the Sixers are going with Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Furkan Korkmaz, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid.
Milwaukee Bucks DFS Notes
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points in a 115-111 Game 7 overtime win against the Nets on Saturday, also adding 13 rebounds, five dimes, a block, two 3-pointers and three turnovers. This marks the second time the Bucks have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the last five years, and they now have a legitimate shot at coming out of this season with a championship after defeating the best on-paper team in the league. Giannis had an incredible series and continues to show his MVP-like capabilities, and he’ll get some very well-earned rest after playing a whopping 50 minutes tonight. Khris Middleton (23/10/6 with five steals on 9-of-26 shooting) and Jrue Holiday (13/7/8 on 5-of-23 shooting) both struggled from the floor but came up huge in the fourth quarter and overtime, and if they can start making their shots alongside Giannis’ dominance, they will be nearly unstoppable. Now the Bucks will wait for their opponent, who will be determined Sunday evening in the thriller that should be the Hawks vs. 76ers Game 7.
Hawks vs. Bucks Playoffs Prediction
The Hawks are 12-3 against the spread in their last 15 games versus the Bucks in Milwaukee and are 4-1 against the number in their last five games as a road underdog. They’re also 10-4 at the betting window in their last 14 games overall and have cashed in 25 of their last 37 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game. On the other side, the Bucks are 0-4 against the spread in their last four Conference Finals games and are 0-7 against the number in their last seven home games versus a team with a losing road record.
NBA PLAYOFFS PREDICTION: ATLANTA HAWKS +7.5