- The Milwaukee Bucks fell short in Game 1 despite the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- The odds for Game 2 are very similar to the odds for Game 1, meaning the Suns are significant favorites.
- If the Bucks win on Thursday, they’ll steal home court from the Suns.
PHOENIX - The Phoenix Suns dominated Game 1 of the NBA Finals, although some fans of the Milwaukee Bucks may argue they got a soft whistle. Still, the Suns seemed to outplay the Bucks for significant stretches of the game, finding open shots at will, and frustrating the Bucks on the defensive end.
The Bucks absolutely demonstrated the capacity to hang with the Suns - there was a significant free-throw differential, and it’s not like the Bucks weren’t drawing contact either.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo officially playing, the odds for Game 2 are a bit better for the Bucks than they were in Game 1 - but they still aren’t good.
The online sportsbooks seem to believe that the Suns are simply a cut above - and they’re also playing at home.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns Game 2 Moneyline Odds
- Milwaukee Bucks +180
- Phoenix Suns -220
Despite how competitive Game 1 was at times, over the course of the game, the Suns pulled away continuously. Only at the end of the game (when the Bucks finally started getting foul calls) was a potential comeback in order.
Still, there were plenty of times in Game 1 that the teams were playing evenly, and that should give some hope to Bucks backers.
That said, it seems like the Suns have a greater margin of error in this series than the Bucks do - the Bucks will need to play very well in order to keep up.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns Game 2 Spread Odds
- Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 (-110)
- Phoenix Suns -5.5 (-110)
The Bucks were sitting around six-point underdog status in Game 1, when it was unclear that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be good to go.
Giannis was healthy enough in Game 1 - he looked explosive, although he disappeared at times during the game. It seems that his guaranteed presence in Game 2 is not enough to make the Bucks move significantly on the spread.
It’s worth noting that Antetokounmpo had one of the worst games of his 2021 playoff run in Game 1, and was still +1 in a game the Bucks lost by 13.
The loss, it seems, was not on him.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns Series Price
- Milwaukee Bucks +275
- Phoenix Suns -350
The Bucks and the Suns are both good teams, but of the two, the Bucks have far more to figure out.
If they’re able to steal home court from the Suns in this game, however, they could find themselves in the driver’s seat in this series.
Online gambling fans can watch Game 2 of the NBA Finals at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.