Bucks vs. Pacers NBA Playoffs Series Odds & Picks: Impact Of Lillard Injury Update
On Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks announced star guard Damien Lillard was cleared of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and no longer requires blood-thinning medication. While Lillard won't play in Game 1 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, he's cleared to resume full-contact workouts and is progressing toward a postseason return. How did the market respond to this news? Let's inspect the latest Pacers vs. Bucks odds, including series and Game 1 odds.
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Betting Reaction To Lillard News
Following Thursday's injury update on Lillard, the market immediately shifted in the Bucks' direction. For reference, the Pacers opened as -160 favorites to advance to the conference semifinals before they were bet up to -200. The price has since dipped to -175.
Undoubtedly, early action toward Indiana may have anticipated the initial news on Lillard. To boot, the Pacers have gone 33-14 since Jan. 1, the NBA's fourth-best mark. In that span, star guard Tyrese Haliburton turned his season around, averaging 19.5 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds on 43.1% shooting from deep, far closer to the All-Star numbers he's accrued the last two seasons.
As for the Game 1 spread, Haliburton and Co. rose from -4.5 to favorites after Lillard was ruled out. The series tips off the NBA postseason on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
It's a rematch of last year's first-round clash, with Indiana eliminating Milwaukee in six games. Rick Carlisle's team was a thorn in the Bucks' side throughout 2023-24, going 8-3 in their 11 meetings, including the playoffs.
Milwaukee countered by covering all four games against Indiana this season, winning three outright. The Bucks will also have a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo after a calf strain impeded the two-time MVP from playing in last season's playoff series.
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