Things will intensify in the Eastern Conference playoffs after the top four teams advanced to the second round by going a combined 16-1 in their opening series. The only team to lose a first-round game was the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who responded to a loss in the first game by beating Orlando in four straight. The Bucks are a big favorite to beat the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, but the Heat took two of three regular season meetings from the best team in the NBA and are ready for a Game 2 showdown on Wednesday.
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal NBA playoff series takes place at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and will air live on ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
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Miami Heat (Check Back Later)
Milwaukee Bucks (Check Back Later)
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Head to Head
The Bucks were 53-12 when the regular season was halted back in March. They stumbled into the lockdown losing three straight and four of five. That funk started with a 105-89 loss to the Heat, the fewest points scored by the Bucks this season. Miami also won a 131-126 overtime shootout on the road in the first week of the season going 2-0 SU and ATS prior to the COVID-induced break. The teams hooked up inside the bubble with the Bucks exacting some revenge with a 130-116 win behind 33 points and 12 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Miami was one of three teams to win the season series over Milwaukee and the only club from the Eastern Conference to turn the trick.
Miami Heat
The Heat will use Monday’s series opener as a chance to shake off some of the rust that accumulated in the week since they swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round. And while this is a road game for bookkeeping purposes, the lack of fans should benefit Miami against a team it matches up well with. “We’re here to win man, home or away. I think this is the type of environment we like to play in,” Jimmy Butler said before the series.
What makes the Heat tough to defend is their balance. Seven players on the roster averaged double figures during the regular season and they’re at it again with five players reaching that mark in the first round sweep of Indiana. Butler is the X-factor after missing two of the three regular season meetings with the Bucks, including Miami’s only loss.
With Milwaukee clogging the lane, shooting from the perimeter is a key to the Heat’s success. They have the slingers in Butler, Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic among others to soften the Bucks defense.
Milwaukee Bucks
A lot of attention is going to be paid to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks need to find a way to crack Miami’s defensive code. The Bucks accumulated a season-low point total in their 105-89 loss just prior to the shutdown. Giannis was held to 13 points in that matchup, one Mike Budenholzer called a “tough game.”
There was some concern over the way the Bucks played during the seeding games. They went just 3-5 then were stunned in their series opener with Orlando, falling 122-110. That appeared to be the wakeup call the top-seed needed. Showing why they were one of the most efficient teams on both ends of the court, the Bucks galloped past the Magic in the next four games winning by an average of 14.5 points while holding Orlando to just over 103 points per game.
Key Stat
Both clubs like to shoot the three-pointer and they’re good at making them, too. The Bucks made an average of 13.8 per game to rank fourth while the Heat were close behind at sixth with an average of 13.4 makes during the regular season. And we saw just how important the stat was during their three earlier meetings. In their two losses Milwaukee made just 27.3 percent of their threes. The Bucks hit 15 of 37 triples in their victory and averaged more than 16 makes in their wins over Orlando.
NBA Odds Pick
The Heat don’t have a player like Giannis on their side so doing whatever they can to slow down the MVP is paramount to getting a victory. That takes a lot of effort on the defensive end and keeping the score down benefits Miami. I expect things to be tight in this matchup. The Bucks are the top seed for a reason and Giannis can play whoever defends him. That also exposes other matchups that favor the Bucks. It should be a tight game and a tight series, but I like the Bucks to prevail in both.
NBA Odds Prediction: Bucks 115, Heat 109
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