The Milwaukee Bucks face a must-win game on Saturday night as they host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference NBA Playoff betting series. The Hawks handled the Bucks easily in the first two games in Atlanta and now the series moves to Milwaukee for Games 3 and 4. The Bucks did not play well in either of the first two games and head coach Scott Skiles realizes his team has to be a lot better. “As athletic as they are, it’s not like anybody’s dunking in a crowd on us. They’re wide open. The balls are going up, and they’re finishing them,” Skiles said. “All we’re comparing ourselves to is ourselves. We normally don’t give that stuff up. We need to not give that easy stuff up.”
Milwaukee is a 1-point favorite with a total of 187 at SBG Global.
The Bucks are definitely missing center Andrew Bogut, who is out for the rest of the season. “Andrew was big, no questions about that,” Milwaukee forward Mbah a Moute said. “But our principle is so team-oriented, and it’s based on everybody helping each other out. It shouldn’t make us tentative because you should know that somebody else is behind you to help you out.”
Milwaukee needs to do some things differently if they are to make this a competitive series. “We’ve got to try and get some guys out of their comfort zones,” Skiles said. “What I want to see us do is be the most intense team on the floor. So far, Atlanta’s done that. I want to see us do that and then see where we are.”
The Bucks were 19-6 in their last 25 home games so they have a chance to get back into this series. “Playing at home is definitely going to help us a lot,” Mbah a Moute said. “We’ve got to match our crowd’s intensity and come out from the get-go and bring that energy.”
The Hawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Hawks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. The Hawks are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between the two teams.
The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a home basketball betting favorite. The Bucks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
The Over is 6-1 in the Hawks last 7 games as a road underdog. The Over is 4-0-1 in the Bucks last 5 games as a home favorite. The Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Milwaukee.
