NBA Playoffs Odds, Picks & Predictions for Hawks vs. Bucks Game 5: Which Side Are Sharps Fading on Thursday?
Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: rue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks talks to teammate Khris Middleton #22.
- The Hawks host the Bucks on Thursday for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Atlanta dominated the Giannis-less Bucks in Game 4, but our latest PRO Report sees serious bounce-back potential for the Bucks in Game 5.
Hawks vs. Bucks Game 5 Odds
Hawks Odds | +3 |
Bucks Odds | -3 |
Over/Under | 215 |
Time | Channel | 8:30 p.m. ET | TNT |
The 2021 NBA Postseason has been hit hard by a rash of injuries. This postseason has been especially tough in regards to key players missing time, and the Hawks vs, Bucks Eastern Conference Finals has been one of the most affected series.
Trae Young missed part of Game 3 and all of Game 4 after stepping on a referee’s foot and suffering an ankle injury. Then, two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a very tough, and hard to watch, hyperextended knee injury that took him out of Game 4.
Antetokounmpo will not play tonight, and it was revealed that there was no structural damage to his knee, a best-case scenario.
Resetting the table for Thursday’s pivotal Game 5, Mike Budenholzer and the Bucks will be relying heavily on the scoring talents of Khris Middleton to turn in another performance like his 38-point Game 3 explosion.
As far as Nate McMillan and the Hawks, they will be hoping that Young can suit up. The star point guard is officially listed as questionable at the time of this writing, with Lou Williams likely to start should Young sit.
Williams chipped in a huge 21 points and eight assists in Atlanta’s Game 4 win, and the veteran showed enough to prove that the Hawks can still give Milwaukee’s defense fits sans Young.
With Giannis not in the lineup, how should bettors approach tonight’s game? Is it time to fade Milwaukee or has the market overreacted?
Sharp bettors provide a clear answer …