The Indiana Pacers (29-34) will attempt to keep their six-game winning streak alive when they meet the Milwaukee Bucks (33-30) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 12 and can be seen on FSN-WI and FSN-IN.
The Pacers played well in their last game, dismantling the Magic 118-86 on Tuesday. Rodney Stuckey was the game’s leading scorer with 34 points on 13-for-19 shooting. The Bucks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 114-103 loss against the Pelicans on Monday. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team in scoring with 29 points.
Over the last five games, Stuckey has taken his game to another level for the Pacers, averaging 18.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.8 three-pointers.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Pacers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a close 94-91 win. Despite the loss, Brandon Knight had a standout performance with 20 points, two rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two three-pointers.
The odds for Indiana and Milwaukee are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Pacers come into this game 29-34 Straight Up (SU) and 35-26-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Indiana’s stingy defense. The Pacers are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 96.0 points per game.
As for their opponent, the Bucks have a record of 37-26 ATS and 33-30 SU. Milwaukee has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. Offensively, the Bucks have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 97.7 points per game by averaging 90.0 during that stretch. Shifting to the other side of the court, The Bucks allow just 96.7 points per game, ranking them fifth in the league. The Bucks are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only .333 shooting from three-point range to their opponents. Milwaukee is the fourth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.1 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Indiana beat Milwaukee, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over the Bucks in their last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – IND, ATS Winner – IND
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana’s last 8 games.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 7 games at home.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Indiana is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee.
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee.
Indiana puts up an average of 96.5 points per game (ranked 23rd), while Milwaukee allows 96.7 points per game (ranked fifth).
Indiana ranks 24th in points per home game with 96.9 points, while Milwaukee ranks ninth in points allowed on the road with 98.0.
The Indiana Pacers won their last game by 32 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Milwaukee Bucks are 3-2. Indiana is 6-3 in blowouts this season.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Milwaukee Bucks are a winning 25-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Indiana Pacers have a subpar record of 11-28.
The Milwaukee Bucks have an underachieving 8-21 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Indiana Pacers are 18-6 when they hit the century mark.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 100.4 (ranked 22nd), while the Pacers rank sixth for their defensive rating of 99.8.
Milwaukee has an average field goal percentage of 46.1% (ranked fifth). Indiana is a poor 6-15 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank higher for their field goal percentage (fifth) than their effective field goal percentage (10th), while the Indiana Pacers rank the same for both metrics (23rd).
Indiana makes an average of 21.5 assists per game (ranked 17th). Milwaukee ranks higher in assists with 23.3 (ranked seventh).
The Indiana Pacers average 4.5 blocks per game for a rank of 20th. The Milwaukee Bucks rank higher (12th), earning 4.8 blocks each contest.
The Indiana Pacers rank 18th in offensive rebounding, while the Milwaukee Bucks rank 25th in defensive rebounding.
The Milwaukee Bucks average 9.6 steals per game (ranked second). The Indiana Pacers have a losing 8-15 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
