Pacers vs Bucks Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Can Haliburton Keep Handing Out Helpers?

The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers have a must-see rivalry brewing, and we get the next installment tonight, with the latest NBA odds favoring Giannis & Co.

The Pacers dumped the Bucks out of the In-Season Tournament with a surprise semifinal victory in early December, but Milwaukee got a measure of revenge with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 64-point masterpiece the following week in a showdown that ended in a scuffle for the game ball.

We’re getting treated to the Top 2 offenses in the NBA here. Behind 23 assists from Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana flashed all its strengths in a 140-126 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday while the Bucks put up 119 points to outlast the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Check out my free NBA picks and predictions for a closer look at the Pacers vs. Bucks showdown on Monday, January 1.

Pacers vs Bucks odds

Pacers vs Bucks predictions

Few teams can compete with the scoring punch of the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combo, but Tyrese Haliburton hasn’t backed down from the challenge this season. In fact, he’s seemingly relished the chance to go toe-to-toe with a competitor like Lillard, even borrowing the Dame Time celebration during the In-Season Tournament win.

In what should be another high tempo battle, I’m picking Haliburton to show up in a big way again, especially after dazzling performances in his last two outings.

Haliburton stands apart as a playmaker, and he’s taken that to a whole new level over the past week with a 20-assist night against the Chicago Bulls followed by 23 dimes in Saturday’s win over the Knicks, setting a new career-high twice in the space of two days.

I love the Tyrese Haliburton odds on his assists prop on the road here, with the Indiana offense humming and the Bucks defense still vulnerable to crafty perimeter threats.

With Haliburton running wild, the Pacers shot almost 59% against New York, and I see him going past 13 assists tonight for the fifth time in six games.

My best bet: Tyrese Haliburton Over 13.5 assists (-120 at bet365)

Pacers vs Bucks same-game parlay

Tyrese Haliburton Over 13.5 assists

Damian Lillard Over 25.5 points

Bucks -5.5

+450 at bet365

I trust the Indiana offense to hit all the right notes tonight, but the visitors may give back a lot of those points with lapses at the other end of the floor. 

The Pacers are allowing the second-most points per game this season, with opponents shooting just over 50% from the field, and that paves the way for Lillard to light it up. He’s gone past the 30-point mark in two of his last three games, bumping his average up to a hair under 26 ppg, and I’m taking the Over here.

The extra spice in this matchup after some chippy contests this year favors the more physical Bucks, and I’m adding the adjusted line for Milwaukee to cover a 5.5-point spread.

With Khris Middleton’s minutes on the rise, his two-way play could be an X-factor in this contest, and I see the hosts pulling away in the second half.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Pacers vs Bucks spread and Over/Under analysis

The Bucks have quietened some of the early-season concerns, staying in touch with the Boston Celtics at the top of the East. With Milwaukee boasting a 16-2 home record and going 9-1 in its past 10 games, it’s easy to see why the line sits at -8.5 with most sportsbooks.

But defensive flaws persist for both teams, and the Pacers have the tools to post another big total. In the last meeting, it took a monster 64-point game from Giannis to sink Indiana.

Though the Bucks have won seven of the last 10 meetings between these teams, Indiana has walked away with a victory in two of the three matchups this season.

The trends point decisively to the Over with these two offensive juggernauts squaring off. It’s been a winning ticket in 21 of the Pacers’ 31 games this year, and in 20 of Milwaukee’s 32 outings.

The Pacers blew past the Over/Under line against the Knicks, but the Under is 6-4 in their last 10 games. I’m less inclined to dwell on that given that the Over is 8-2 in the teams’ last 10 head-to-head battles.

Pacers vs Bucks betting trend to know

The Bucks have been nearly unstoppable at Fiserv Forum this season, cashing in the moneyline in 15 of their past 16 home games. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Bucks.

Pacers vs Bucks game info

Pacers vs Bucks latest injuries

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