- Trae Young suffered an injury at the end of the third quarter in Game 3.
- With the Bucks up 2-1 in the series, they’re -2800 to win it and go to the Finals.
- The Hawks are seven-point underdogs in Game 4.
ATLANTA - A freak accident for Trae Young may have changed the fortunes of the Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals. Near the end of the third quarter in Game 3, Young, stepping out of bounds slightly, placed his foot over the foot of a referee, tweaking his ankle and forcing himself out of the game.
It was, by all accounts, a freak accident. Young stepped out of bounds, the referee was in no way at fault, and he just happened to land poorly.
Still, the Hawks were in the game without Young until Khris Middleton went supernova, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Young’s return to the game wasn’t enough to stem the tide - he seemed hobbled, and his shots weren’t falling, while Middleton exploded, outsourcing the entire Hawks team during the fourth.
Now, the Hawks are in dire straits. They’re down 2-1, they’re underdogs at home in Game 4, and their best player - and arguably only star - has been diagnosed with a bone bruise.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 4 Moneyline Odds
- Milwaukee Bucks -270
- Atlanta Hawks +220
The Bucks are big favorites after their Game 3 victory, especially in the contest of Young’s injury.
In Game 3, the Bucks were favored by around four points at tip-off, but Game 4 is looking like it will be much more in their favor.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 4 Spread Odds
- Milwaukee Bucks -7.0 (-110)
- Atlanta Hawks +7.0 (-110)
The Bucks not only defeated the Hawks in Game 3, but they covered the spread as well, which was a tough ask.
The Hawks have been a very good team against the spread at home, and to their credit, it took an injury to their best player and a monstrous performance from a previously quiet Middleton for them to fail to cover the spread.
If online gambling fans can’t believe in the Hawks to win this game, they might be able to buy into them covering this spread - assuming Trae plays well.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks Series Odds
- Milwaukee Bucks -2800
- Atlanta Hawks +1100
After the Bucks won Game 3, their odds to win the series spiked from around -450 to where they are now at -2800.
This is quite a jump, but it seems as though the online sportsbooks are simply done with this series - the Hawks don’t have the horses to hang with the Bucks.
This is not a wild assumption. The Hawks were simply unable to generate as many quality looks as the Bucks were during Game 3 - they just made a bunch of tough shots.
In the aggregate, the Bucks have certainly been the better team, and it seems like the numbers are finally catching up to the Hawks.
Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks takes place at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and will be broadcast on TNT.