Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks Game 1 odds, picks and predictions
The 8th-seeded Miami Heat meet the 1-seed Milwaukee Bucks Sunday for Game 1 of their 1st-round playoff series. Tip-off from Fiserv Forum is set for 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Heat vs. Bucks odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Regular season series was tied 2-2.
Miami secured the 8 seed with a 102-91 win Friday over the Chicago Bulls as 5-point home favorites. Miami guards Jimmy Butler and Max Strus led the way, each scoring 31 points and combining for 17 made free throws. The Heat were the 2nd-best scoring defense in the regular season, only allowing 109.8 pointe per game (PPG).
Milwaukee finished the regular season with a league best 58-24 record, with MVP finalist F Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the charge. Giannis averaged 31.1 point and 11.8 rebounds per game (RPG) for the Bucks. The Bucks also have C Brook Lopez, who finished as a finalist for DPOY, with his 2.5 blocks per game tied for 2nd in the league. Milwaukee was the best rebounding team, averaging 48.6 RPG.
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