After all the drama of whether Giannis Antetokounmpo would start or not, it ultimately ended up being free throw shooting that decided the final outcome of the series opener. Thankfully I was able to cash a ticket on the Phoenix Suns simply because they made all but one of their 26 attempts while the Milwaukee Bucks missed seven of their 16. The end result saw CP3 and company get out to a 1-0 series lead after securing the 13 point win and cover as 5-point favorites per the closing NBA odds at online sportsbooks. Even with the outcome, linemakers didn’t adjust the betting lines much for Game 2. That has me leaning towards backing the “Greek Freak” and his mates knowing full well they had an opportunity to not only cover but win the series opener outright had it done a better job taking advantage of its freebies. Milwaukee’s been resilient in going 3-1 SU and ATS the four times it returned to the hardwood off a loss this postseason.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns will tip-off on Thursday, July 8, 2021 from the Phoenix Suns Arena. The game will be broadcast live on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. We'll have NBA playoff odds and player props available at BookMaker.eu for every game of the NBA Finals.
NBA Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
Milwaukee Bucks +5.5
Phoenix Suns -5.5
O/U 221
Odds Analysis
The two regular season meetings saw both teams combine for an average of 252 points per game. Each end result saw over backers cash tickets with relative ease. While it was a sweat for those expecting a high scorer to play out in the series opener, it got there nonetheless to move the over to 3-0 between these teams on the year. Game 1 opened at 217 and was bet all the way up to 220 at the close. The 223 combined points in Game 1 surpassed all numbers. With that, linemakers opened Game 2 up at 220.5 and it was quickly bet up to 221. Looks like early bettors expect another track meet to play out. As for the pointspread, Phoenix closed -5 in Game 1 but resurfaced at -5.5 for Game 2 with the moneyline clocking in at -227. The house took a huge hit with the Suns moneyline in the opener and would love nothing more than to even the score on Thursday night.
Milwaukee Bucks
It was unknown on game day whether or not Giannis would suit up for the Bucks or not. In the early afternoon, his injury status changed from doubtful to questionable. Then an hour leading up to tip-off, it was surprisingly announced that he would in fact give it a go. After perusing the box score, it’s pretty safe to assume he was more than healthy enough to play after going for 20 points and preventing the Suns from dominating the rebounding battle by hauling in 17 caroms. While his free throw shooting left much to be desired, it was great to see him galloping up and down the hardwood without any restrictions. And how about Khris Middleton?! The dude went for a team-high 29 points by way of draining 5-of-12 from deep and shooting 46 percent overall.
Phoenix Suns
Just like he did in the Western Conference finals against the Clippers, Deandre Ayton played a pivotal role in the Suns getting out to the 1-0 series lead. Phoenix’s big man logged a big boy double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds. Most importantly, he only committed three fouls which allowed for Phoenix to utilize his presence throughout a bulk of the game. The night however belonged to the guard tandem of Chris Paul and Devin Booker with the former going for 32 points and nine assists and the latter going for 27 by way of converting all 10 of his shots from the free throw line. We won’t make mention of his poor 1-of-8 showing from downtown; him being 2-for-15 from beyond the arc the last two games is a bit concerning however.
Milwaukee vs. Phoenix Prediction
Milwaukee has only dropped consecutive games once this postseason and they occurred in the first two games of the series against the Nets in Brooklyn. While it’s certainly in the range of outcomes that they fail to send the series back to Milwaukee tied at a game apiece, I’m going to throw caution to the wind and see if they don’t do it anyway. I wasn’t overly impressed with what Phoenix did overall in the opener. Milwaukee shot for a higher clip from the 3-point line, won the rebounding battle and had 21 assists to the Suns 18. If they can mimic that feat, cut down on the turnovers and take advantage of their opportunities from the charity stripe, they’ll cover this impost and be in an excellent position to win the game outright. Phoenix is yet to cover two straight at home this postseason, and I’ll be betting that trend continues once Game 2 comes to a close come Thursday night.
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