3rd Quarter Report

Only one more quarter stands between the Bucks and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. Sitting on a score of 88-84, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still one more quarter to play.

If the Bucks keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 25-8 in no time. On the other hand, the Pacers will have to make due with a 17-15 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who’s Playing

Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks

Current Records: Indiana 17-14, Milwaukee 24-8

How To Watch

• When: Monday, January 1, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
• Where: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• TV: Bally Sports Midwest – Indiana
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)

What to Know

After four games on the road, the Bucks are heading back home. They will take on the Indiana Pacers at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Winning is just a little bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 27.4% better than the opposition, a fact the Bucks proved on Friday. They walked away with a 119-111 victory over Cleveland. The win came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 7:42 mark of the second quarter, when the Bucks were facing a 48-33 deficit.

Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo were among the main playmakers for the Bucks as the former scored 31 points and the latter dropped a double-double on 34 points and 16 rebounds. The matchup was Antetokounmpo’s third in a row with at least 30 points.

Meanwhile, the Pacers entered their tilt with the Knicks with two consecutive wins but they’ll enter their next game with three. Indiana enjoyed a cozy 140-126 victory over New York on Saturday. The oddsmakers set the bar high with a 249-point over/under, but they still managed to beat it.

Tyrese Haliburton was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 22 points and 23 assists. Those 23 assists set a new season-high mark for him. Myles Turner was another key contributor, going 6 for 8 from beyond the arc en route to 28 points and 2 assists.

Milwaukee is on a roll lately: they’ve won nine of their last ten contests, which provided a nice bump to their 24-8 record this season. As for Indiana, their win bumped their record up to 17-14.

Going forward, the Bucks are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 8.5 points. This contest will be their 18th straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 9-8 against the spread).

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Bucks haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.1 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Pacers struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.1 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Odds

Milwaukee is a big 8.5-point favorite against Indiana, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 260.5 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Milwaukee has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Indiana.

• Dec 13, 2023 – Milwaukee 140 vs. Indiana 126
• Dec 07, 2023 – Indiana 128 vs. Milwaukee 119
• Nov 09, 2023 – Indiana 126 vs. Milwaukee 124
• Mar 29, 2023 – Milwaukee 149 vs. Indiana 136
• Mar 16, 2023 – Indiana 139 vs. Milwaukee 123
• Jan 27, 2023 – Milwaukee 141 vs. Indiana 131
• Jan 16, 2023 – Milwaukee 132 vs. Indiana 119
• Feb 15, 2022 – Milwaukee 128 vs. Indiana 119
• Dec 15, 2021 – Milwaukee 114 vs. Indiana 99
• Nov 28, 2021 – Milwaukee 118 vs. Indiana 100