Pacers vs. Bucks prediction and odds for Wednesday, Dec. 13 (Back Indiana on the road)

The Indiana Pacers will try to shorten the gap for first place in the Central Division when they play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. The Pacers have had the Bucks' number to start the season, winning two straight games.

The last time these two teams played each other was in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament, where the Pacers won 128-119. The Bucks had no answers for Tyrese Haliburton, who had 27 points, 15 assists, and seven rebounds.

The Pacers are surprisingly a 6.5-point underdog against the Bucks despite winning the first two matchups this season.

Here are the odds and our best bet for Indiana-Milwaukee:

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Pacers vs. Bucks odds, spread and total

Pacers vs. Bucks how to watch

• Date: Wednesday, Dec. 13
• Game Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Fiserv Forum
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports WI, Bally Sports Indiana
• Pacers Record: 13-8
• Bucks Record: 16-7

Pacers vs. Bucks injury reports

Indiana Pacers injury report

• Andrew Nembhard – Out
• Jalen Smith – Out

Milwaukee Bucks injury report

• Pat Connaughton – Out
• Jae Crowder – Out
• Chris Livingston – Out

Pacers vs. Bucks key players to watch

Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner: Tyrese Haliburton gets most of the attention on the Pacers, and rightfully so, with how he’s playing this season. However, don’t sleep on Turner, who is having a solid season for the Pacers. 

The veteran center is recording 17.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. In the Pacers’ last meeting against the Bucks, Turner had 26 points, 10 boards, and three blocks.

Milwaukee Bucks

Khris Middleton: Middleton gets lost in the shuffle with the Bucks having Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, for the Bucks to make a deep postseason run, they’ll need Middleton to be that third scorer. 

The veteran small forward is coming off a nice all-around performance against the Bulls on Monday night, where he had 13 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Middleton has seen his scoring drop with the addition of Lillard, but he can still impact the game in multiple ways.

Pacers vs. Bucks prediction and pick

Milwaukee would love to get a win over the Pacers, who knocked them out of the In-Season Tournament semifinals last week. The Bucks shot the ball better from three-point range (36.4%) than Indiana (21.2%) and were competitive on the glass. 

However, the Pacers had the advantage in fastbreak points (11-7), points in the paint (72-60), and outscored the Bucks by 12 points in the final quarter. If Milwaukee wants to win the division this season, they must show they can beat the Pacers. But for the Bucks to do that, they must play better defensively, which has been an issue this season.

Milwaukee is allowing 119.2 points per game (24th in the NBA) this season, which isn’t great, but Indiana isn’t better. The Pacers have given up 124.7 points per game (29th in the NBA). Therefore, tonight’s game will come down to which team can make the most shots, and that’s tough to decipher as the Pacers and Bucks are ranked top-three in offensive efficiency.

I’ll take the Pacers and the points. The Bucks can’t be trusted right now, especially their defense. Middleton, Antetokounmpo, and Lillard will get their points. But I do not see them slowing down Haliburton on the perimeter and Turner inside the paint. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.