The Milwaukee Bucks return to the Eastern Conference Finals and will get set to battle an up-and-coming Atlanta Hawks team that is playing with nothing to lose. This series features two clubs that each won seven-game series' in the semi-finals as the lower seed. The Bucks knocked off the juggernaut Brooklyn Nets and the Hawks overpowered the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. These teams are now battle-tested and ready to continue their push in what should be a series full of fireworks. Is the the year that Milwaukee finally gets over the hump and reaches the Finals? It's time to continue our odds series with a Hawks-Bucks prediction.
Hawks-Bucks Series Odds (Updated 6/30)
Atlanta Hawks (+106)
Milwaukee Bucks (-124)
Hawks-Bucks Series Schedule
Game 1: ATL 116-113 MIL
Game 2: ATL 91-125 MIL
Game 3: MIL 113-102 ATL
Game 4: MIL 88-110 ATL
Game 5: ATL 112-123 MIL
Game 6: MIL 118-107 ATL
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks survived a thrilling second-round series against the Brooklyn Nets to reach the Conference Finals. Everyone, including the Bucks, has to be shocked that they will have home court advantage in this round and that is something that Milwaukee has to be absolutely thrilled about. Milwaukee will have a few days to prepare for Game 1 after their 115-111 overtime victory against the Nets on Saturday. The Bucks had to fight to the very end and will hopefully bring that gritty mentality into a tough series against a surging Hawks bunch.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are on a mission to finally finish the job this season and reach the NBA Finals. They have been on a mission for the past two seasons in trying to lead this team to the Finals for the first time during the Giannis era. The Bucks will have to improve their offensive numbers as they averaged just 101.9 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting in the Brooklyn series. The Hawks have played stellar defense, which could certainly pose some issues for a struggling offensive unit. Khris Middleton will be the key as he struggled to start the series, but came on during the last two games to close out against the Nets.
No. 5 Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have defied the odds as they are now four wins away from a birth in the NBA Finals. This scrappy Hawks squad led by Nate McMillan knocked off the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games to reach the Conference Finals. They won three of the four games on the road in that series, which makes this story even more improbable. And it also makes a Hawks-Bucks prediction all the more difficult. While the road success against Philly is all good and well, they can't expect to replicate that performance against the surging Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta was great at home this season and will need to win more than they lose at State Farm Arena in order to pull off yet another upset.
Although Atlanta lost the season series against the Bucks, they won the most recent matchup by seven points on April 25. The Hawks are reasonable underdogs in this series and will need their young supporting cast to continue their recent play. Guys like John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic will need to step up in a big way. Trae Young and Kevin Huerter have been stables in the backcourt and will certainly garner a ton of attention from the Bucks. The difference will be the leadership that Atlanta receives from savvy veterans Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari, and Clint Capela. Don't be so quick to write this young club off because there is nothing more dangerous than a club that is playing with nothing to lose.
Bucks-Hawks Prediction and Pick
Although I love what Atlanta has done during this postseason, I believe that their run will end here. Milwaukee has been on the cusp of a Finals appearance for years and knows what it takes to get the job done. They are desperate to finally get over the hump and their experience will be the ultimate difference. I expect the Hawks to put up a serious fight and I'm predicting that this series will go six games.
FINAL PICK: Milwaukee Bucks (-480)
Follow Us
Subscribe