Milwaukee Bucks are favorites to win regular season tournament in Las Vegas
The Milwaukee Bucks have a +170 chance of winning the NBA's first in-season tournament and are slightly better than the Los Angeles Lakers (+240), New Orleans Pelicans (+360) and the top-scoring Indiana Pacers (+425) Advantage.
Four teams travel to Las Vegas on Thursday for the semifinals of the in-season tournament. The Lakers and Pelicans met in the Western Conference semifinals, and the Bucks and Pacers faced off in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The winners of Wednesday’s semifinals at T-Mobile Arena will meet in Saturday’s in-season tournament finale. Players on the championship team will each receive a $500,000 bonus for winning the in-season tournament. Runners-up will each receive $200,000.
Despite initial skepticism and cynicism, the in-season tournament was a huge success among fans. It's a great way to get exposure for smaller teams that don't typically play in televised games, which is the case with the Pacers. The mid-season tournament gives the world a chance to catch a glimpse of rising point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Milwaukee Bucks +170
Damian Lillard is excited about finally getting a chance to win something in the NBA. The veteran point guard has never played in an NBA Finals or won a championship, so the in-season tournament is his first chance to potentially hoist a trophy. "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a championship in 2020-21, but it was Lillard's biggest loss since the Bucks faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2020 The trade resulted in his first season with the Bucks.
The Bucks (15-6) have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics (15-5), and only the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-4) have won more games. In the first quarter of the regular season, fans were not disappointed with the partnership between Lillard and Antetokounmpo. The two will showcase their pick-and-roll skills Thursday in Game 1 of the semifinals against the Pacers in Sin City.
The Bucks and Pacers have only met once this season. The Bucks defeated the Pacers 126-124, but Lillard had to miss the game due to calf pain. Antetokounmpo scored 54 points in this victory, which is the highest score by a player in a single game this season.
The Bucks are -5 favorites at the neutral site in Las Vegas. Their betting record is poor, with a point differential of 9-11-1. The Pacers are 11-8 ATS this season.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo are the second favorites to win the in-season tournament MVP at +400 odds.
Los Angeles Lakers +240
The Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 105:103 in the quarterfinals and moved to Las Vegas. LeBron James played 40 minutes and scored a Lakers-high 31 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Big man Anthony Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds, and backup guard Austin Reeves scored 20 points.
While the Bucks are the favorite to win the in-season tournament, James is the favorite to win the MVP at +350 odds. The Lakers have been heavily supported by public funds throughout the tournament and have a +240 chance to win their first in-season tournament game.
The Lakers are -3 favorites against the Pelicans in the semifinals. The two teams have yet to meet this season. The Pelicans are 13-8-1 ATS, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Lakers trailed 10-12.
New Orleans Pelicans +360
Zion Williamson has battled injuries throughout his career with the Pelicans. The former No. 1 overall pick has yet to play in a playoff game against the Pelicans, so this is his first chance to appear in a high-profile game.
When Williamson is healthy, he is one of the best power forwards in the league. Williamson is currently in top form and will have a chance to showcase his skills against James and Davis.
Small forward Brandon Ingram leads the Pelicans in scoring and assists this season with 23.7 points and 5.3 assists per game. Willemson is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 22.7 points per game, but leads the Pelicans in field goal percentage of 56.9%.
Veteran shooting guard C.J. McCollum returns to the starting lineup after recovering from a collapsed lung. After returning, McCollum averaged 19.3 points per game.
Indiana Pacers +425
Haliburton, 23, is one of the best players in the NBA but is rarely noticed by casual fans. The fourth-year player was a floor general on one of the highest-scoring teams in NBA history.
Haliburton is averaging 26.9 points per game this season, an increase of 6.2 points per game from last season. He leads the NBA in assists with 11.9 assists per game.
Haliburton showed off his underrated ability in the semifinal win over the Celtics. He scored a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, helping the team win 122-112. The Celtics have the best record in the NBA and are the consensus favorite to win the 2023-24 championship. But Haliburton led the Pacers to a 10-point victory over the Celtics in the quarterfinals.
The Pacers faced the Bucks in the semifinals as a +5 underdog. Total score 257/under 257. The teams combined for 250 points in their only meeting of the season in early November.
Haliburton has a +425 chance to win the in-season tournament MVP.
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Source: www.casino.org
