- The Brooklyn Nets are favored to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee in Game 4.
- They were not favored under similar circumstances in Game 3.
- James Harden will not be playing in Game 4
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks managed to hold serve in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets, and bring the series to 2-1. Now they have a chance to even the series at home, but the fact that Game 3 was so close should give them pause.
The Bucks won the game 86-83 after Bruce Brown of the Nets opted to take the last shot himself instead of passing to either Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving.
Speaking of Durant and Irving, they will once again be without offensive lynchpin James Harden, meaning the Bucks absolutely need to win this game to have a shot in the series.
Harden’s absence has loomed over the series - he’s effectively the coordinator of the Nets offense, while Durant and Irving focus more on dominating their matchups than playmaking. The fact that the Nets have been successful despite losing Harden speaks to the level at which Durant and Irving are able to dominate with pure skill and talent. Nobody needs to run a play for Kevin Durant to score - he can just take every player in the league 1-on-1.
The Bucks were favored at sports betting sites in Game 3 of the series, which also took place in Milwaukee, but Game 4 is another story.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Game 4 Moneyline
- Brooklyn Nets -125
- Milwaukee Bucks +105
The Nets are -125 favorites on the road, which is intriguing in the context of the fact that they weren’t road favorites in Game 3.
Perhaps the Game 3 win for the Bucks was so unconvincing that the online sportsbooks think that the series is not all that close. Perhaps the markets figured that the Bucks were going to win one game eventually, and now that they have, it’s back to the Nets being favored.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Game 4 Spread
- Brooklyn Nets -2.0 (-105)
- Milwaukee Bucks +2.0 (-115)
The spread seems close, with the Bucks being spotted two points, and the shading on the spread is in their favor.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see this line move around a bit more, as the NBA sportsbooks figure out where exactly it’s supposed to be.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn Nets -400
- Milwaukee Bucks +300
Before Game 3, the Nets were -575 favorites to win the series, whereas they are now -400. Some of the numbers have shifted around, but the overall picture of the series has not - the Nets are likely to take the win.
Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EST on Sunday. Sports bettors can watch the game on ABC.