Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns
Milwaukee begin their NBA finals campaign without Giannis in Game 1 but will be motivated to start this series despite being massive underdogs. Giannis’ injured knee is still an issue and while he's listed as doubtful at this stage, we highly doubt he'll be able to return to the court just yet. However, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton have stepped up in his absence and will be the key as the series continues. Holiday dominated the Hawks in the last 2 games of the previous series, scoring an average of 26 points. His defence will also be important against Paul in this series. Middleton comes off 32 points in Game 6 and almost recorded a triple-double in Game 5. Another key matchup to watch in this series will be in the paint as Brook Lopez takes on Ayton. The Clippers struggled to contain Ayton but Lopez could be a tougher matchup. Meanwhile, Bobby Portis will get the start in place of Giannis.
The Suns have been incredible to watch this year and they're deserved favourites to win their first-ever NBA championship. One of the major reasons in their turnaround has arguably been Chris Paul and he'll finally get to experience the NBA finals for the first time in his career after 16 long years. He basically put the Suns on his back in Game 6 against the Clippers as he delivered 41 points / 8 assists in the crushing 130-103 series-clinching victory. The other key point about the Suns in this series is their clean injury list compared to the injury-riddled Bucks. If this series goes the distance, the Suns will have an advantage in that area. They have a settled starting 5 and don't have a huge reliance on their bench cover.
The Suns are clear favourites in Game 1 as the Bucks will likely sit Giannis due to his knee injury and we find it hard to back against the home team. In the 2 games these sides played together in the regular season, they were both resulted in 1 point margins. However, Giannis was a key standout in both games and the Bucks will most likely miss his presence in Game 1. Overall, the Suns also have a great record at home against the Bucks having won 20 of 25 meetings and they're also 6-1 ATS at any venue against Milwaukee. So look for another massive outing by Chris Paul as he looks to give the Suns a 1-0 advantage.
Stadium Record
Phoenix holds a 20-3 record on their home court. The Bucks 2-3 at this venue in their last 5 games.
Head to Head Record
The Suns won both meetings this season by a single point and have won 5 of the last 6 meetings.
Best Bet
Same Game Multi
Suns Win / Phoenix Suns -5.5 / C. Paul 20+ Points / C. Paul 8+ Assists = $3.40
