The semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament will take place at T-Mobile Arena on Las Vegas tonight and the first matchup will feature Indiana Pacers battling the Milwaukee Bucks. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN.
Indiana (11-8) reached this point by knocking off the Celtics 122-112 in the quarterfinals on Monday. Tyrese Haliburton continued his star-making performance in this tournament, delivering a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Milwaukee (15-8) was able to pull away from the Knicks in its 146-122 quarterfinal blowout on Monday. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 63 points in the win.
On the injury front, Pat Connaughton (ankle) will miss his fourth straight game for the Bucks. Meanwhile, Jalen Smith (heel/knee) will miss his fourth straight game for the Pacers.
Milwaukee enters the game as a 5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 257. The Bucks are a -205 moneyline favorite, making the Pacers a +170 underdog.
Pacers vs. Bucks, 5 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Pacers +5
The NBA In-Season Tournament has brought out a competitiveness you normally don’t see in these early-season contests and I expect a very close game between these two squads this evening. Haliburton and the Pacers have a lot to prove and if they don’t win tonight, I expect them to cover.
Over/Under: Over 257
Pacers games have been all gas, no brakes and that’s reflected by them boasting a 16-3 O/U record this season. I’ll hammer the over for this one as we should be treated to a fireworks show in Vegas this evening.