There was only one player in NBA Finals betting history that went for 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in back-to-back games; his name was and forever will be Shaquille O’Neal. But after the Milwaukee Bucks skunked the Phoenix Suns by 20 points on Sunday night, there are now two players that hold that honor. Giannis Antetokounmpo once again proved to be a man amongst boys in the Bucks enormous 120-100 win and cover erupting for the second straight game to allow for his teammates to eat into the series deficit. Though online sportsbooks still have Chris Paul and company favored to win the series, they’re no longer as decided and it’s the Bucks that enter Game 4 favored on their home floor to even it up. While all three finals matchups have been won by double-digits, a total of five points separates these two teams in their five overall meetings. One of these games will go down to the wire, and I’m thinking Game 4 is ripe for that occurrence with the Suns yet to drop successive postseason games since doing so in the opening round against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series between the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks will tip-off on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 from the Fiserv Forum. The game will be broadcast live on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. NBA playoff odds and player props will be available at BookMaker.eu for every game of the NBA Finals.
NBA Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
Phoenix Suns +3.5
Milwaukee Bucks -3.5
O/U 220.5
Odds Analysis
The pointspread is yet to come into play in any of the three played games of this series. Phoenix covered games one and two as -5 and -4.5-point favorites while the Bucks cashed their first tickets by logging the 120-100 win and cover Game 3 chalk. Though Milwaukee closed 4.5-point favs on Sunday night, linemakers opened Game 4 up with the Bucks only laying 3.5-points. Very interesting considering Mike Budenholzer’s troops have won all but one of their nine playoff home games and enter this tilt having covered the closing NBA odds in three straight and five of the last six. Hopefully you’ve had Pepto Bismol on the ready if betting either side of the total throughout this series. Games 1 and 2 managed to go over in the final minute, while Game 3 ended up pushing the closing number for late bettors and cashing in for those that got in early. Game 4 opened 219.5 but has since been bet up a full point. The prior three games closed 219.5, 221 and 220. The total is 4-0-1 to the over in the team’s five played bouts to date.
Phoenix Suns
After lighting the hardwood afire in the opening two games at home, CP3 and Devin Booker were nowhere to be found with the series shifted back to Milwaukee on Sunday night. While Paul still showed up with a team-high 19 points and nine assists, he turned it over four times. The same can’t and won’t be said for Booker who had a terrible shooting night that led to a forgettable 10 points. He managed to convert only one of seven shots from beyond the arc which marks the second time this series that he failed to shoot better than 15 percent from long range. For the first time this series, Milwaukee was able to get Deandre Ayton into major foul trouble. Because of it, he only logged 24 minutes of playing time and his absence allowed the Bucks to dominate the rebounding battle winning it 47-36 with 13 caroms of the offensive variety.
Milwaukee Bucks
It was a complete effort from the Bucks “Big 3” of Giannis, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday on Sunday night. The Greek Freak led the way with 41 points on 14-of-23 shooting and added a whopping 13 rebounds for good measure to just barely hook his rebounding prop backers up in a big way. As great Milwaukee’s superstar was, it was the combined efforts of Middleton and Holiday that really allowed for the home team to run away and hide. The former went for 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists while the latter racked up 21 points and drained half of his 10 attempted shots from downtown. As a team, Milwaukee shot 48 percent from the field and only turned it over nine times to the Suns 14. After being outshot by 10 at the charity stripe in Game 1, Milwaukee has taken 13 more free throws than the Suns the last two games.
Phoenix vs. Milwaukee vs. Prediction
It’s tough to fade the Bucks with a straight face right now as dependable the Bucks have been cashing tickets at home throughout the playoffs. Even so, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing on Wednesday night when these teams collide for the fourth time this series. Yes, Phoenix has no answers for Antetokounmpo but I fully expect Monty Williams to cook something up to stymy his surrounding cast in this rematch at the Forum. Now that the Suns have a taste as to what it’s going to be like in hostile territory, I fully expect them to bring their “A” game to the hardwood in this one. The fact that linemakers opened the number to beat shorter than Game 3 is telling in my opinion. Take the points and throw some beer money on Booker and company to win outright and take the commanding 3-1 series lead!
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