Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the face of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise. Correlate that he continues to produce at an elite rate. Last season, head coach Doc Rivers took over a 30-13 team. And then he went 65-53 instead, far below previous Milwaukee NBA betting standards. Consider that for the first time after six seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks failed to win the Central Division championship. Following their 2021 NBA championship, the Bucks have slowly eroded into a second-class team. Indeed, Milwaukee is still good enough to make the playoffs, but it isn’t what it used to be.
2025 NBA Playoffs First Round Preview: Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
| Date and Time: | Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 7 p.m. ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | +4½ -110 | 228½ -115 | +160 |  |
| Indiana Pacers | -4½ -110 | 228½ -105 | -180 | |
| ||||
Milwaukee Bucks Series Schedule
- Game 2: Bucks at Pacers | Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 3: Pacers at Bucks | Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 4: Pacers at Bucks | Sunday, April 27, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 5: Bucks at Pacers | Tuesday, April 29, TBD | TBD *
- Game 6: Pacers at Bucks | Friday, May 2, TBD | TBD *
- Game 7: Bucks at Pacers | Sunday, May 4, TBD | TBD *
Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach
Doc Rivers has a career sports betting record of 1162-816. Rivers was named one of the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History. He led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship. Previously, Rivers was named the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year. As a player, he made the NBA All-Star Game, which lasted from 1983 through 1996.
Milwaukee Bucks Key Players
This season, PF Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Initially, the Greek Freak was the 15th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft out of Greece by the Bucks. He eventually became the best player in basketball. Giannis is a 9-time All-Star, including this year. Also, he is a 2-time NBA MVP. He was the 2021 NBA Finals MVP. Most important of all, Giannis is the best possible face of a franchise that can be found in sports.
G Damian Lillard was the sixth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft out of Weber State by the Portland Trail Blazers. Correlate that he played for Portland until 2023-24. He is a 9-time NBA All-Star, including this year. This season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game.
Milwaukee Bucks Record, Metrics & History
Overall, Milwaukee’s NBA metrics were 13th for scoring offense, 4th for field goal percentage, 1st for 3-point field goal percentage, 28th for free throw percentage, and 23rd for offensive rebounding. While on defense, the Bucks’ metrics were 9th for scoring defense, 5th for field goal percentage permitted, 7th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 21st for defensive rebounding.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ final regular season record was 48-34 straight up, 43-27-2 against the spread, and 43-38 over/under the NBA betting total. As a result, Milwaukee was fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, 16 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Milwaukee now has another destiny-changing superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is the most talented player in the NBA. Also, he won the NBA Finals MVP en route to the Bucks winning the 2021 NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo has already signed a max extension with the franchise until the end of the 2025-26 season. Thus, the Bucks don’t have to worry about losing another superstar in their prime as they did with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.