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The Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons play Game 4 of their first round playoff series on Monday night at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
First Playoff Series Win Since 2001
The NBA’s top-seeded team Milwaukee Bucks are on the cusp of winning their first playoff series since 2001 when they went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bucks are also trying to end eight straight first round playoff exits. Milwaukee has a chance to do both when they aim for the sweep on Monday night in Detroit.
Giannis Antetokounmpo played just 27 minutes in Game 3 due to foul trouble and the Greek Freak finished with just 14 points, three assists with four turnovers in a rather quiet night. Despite that, the Bucks led by double digits most of the way and went on to win by 16 points as Mike Budenholzer got six other players to score double-digits for the Bucks.
Bucks
-900
Pistons
+675
Odds from betonline.ag as of 4/22/19
Longest Playoff Losing Streak
The Detroit Pistons tied the New York Knicks with an NBA playoff record of 13 consecutive playoff losses. For sure, they want to avoid the ignominy of holding that record all for themselves with another loss on Monday night. The Pistons can only blame themselves for their woes as they have shot below 40% from the floor in each of the first two games of the series while allowing Milwaukee to score an average of 120 points per game.
Blake Griffin missed the first two games of the series with knee problems. He wasn’t 100% when he poured in 27 points in Game 3. But unless they get their star fully healthy, which isn’t happening soon, the Pistons aren’t going to get their motors starting in this series. Reggie Jackson added 15 points, six rebounds and 8 assists in Game 4 while Andre Drummond had 12 points and 12 boards but the Pistons are just getting outgunned by the Bucks.
Who Wins?
Milwaukee is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games played. The Bucks are 3-1 SU in their last four road games played. Detroit is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played. The Pistons are 2-3 SU in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Bucks are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games against the Pistons.
The Bucks are proving to be the top-seed in the playoffs. They are literally running away with the series, winning the first three games by an average winning margin of 24 points without a winning margin lower than 16 points in those three games.
Blake Griffin missed the first two games of the series with a knee injury that allowed the Bucks to take a 2-0 lead. Griffin came back in Game 3 and scored 27 points while also grabbing seven rebounds and issuing six assists. But Detroit shot below 40% from the floor for the third straight game. That’s not going to be enough against a team led by the Greek god of basketball.
Dwane Casey has done a tremendous job with the Pistons. Likewise, Blake Griffin has returned to All-Star form. The future looks bright for Detroit but this series is more about the Bucks’ than them. With a chance to win a playoff series for the first time since 2001 and to do so emphatically with a sweep in the first round of this year’s postseason, Giannis and the Bucks should bring out the broom in this one. I’m picking the Milwaukee Bucks to beat the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their first round playoff series.
Other Bets To Make
The Bucks are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games played and Milwaukee is 3-1 ATS in their last four games played on the road. The Pistons are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games and Detroit is 1-4 ATS in their last five games played at home. Head to head, Milwaukee is 6-2-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings versus Detroit.
Bucks
-12 (-110)
Pistons
+12 (-110)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 4/22/19
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last five conference quarterfinals games, 23-10-1 in their last 34 games against an opponent with a losing record and 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games played on the road. Detroit is 1-5 ATS in its last six conference quarterfinals games, 0-4 ATS in their last four games at home and 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall. The Bucks have won the first three games by at least 16 points and by an average of 24 points per game. It has been utter domination by Milwaukee here at 3-0 ATS so far in three games and I don’t see it changing in Game 4. The Bucks want to make a statement by claiming perhaps the only sweep in the first round. Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks -12
The over is 8-2 in the Bucks’ last 10 games played. Milwaukee has seen the total go over in all of their last four road games played. The under is 6-4 in the Pistons’ last 10 games played. The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by the Pistons. Head to head, the under is 6-4 in the last 10 games between the Bucks and Pistons.
Bucks
O 218 -110
Pistons
U 218 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 4/22/19
The over is 2-1 in this series with the only time this matchup going under was in Game 1 when the teams combined for 207 points and Detroit scoring a series-low 86 points. The Bucks have been averaging 120 points per game in three games played while the Pistons scored 103 points in their last game, when Blake Griffin played. With the way the Bucks have been rampaging, I like the score to go over for the third straight game in this series. Prediction: Over 218
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