by Darren Moore
And then there were two. The 2021 NBA Finals will feature the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, with the series beginning on Tuesday at Phoenix Suns Arena. Here’s a look at the opening odds and lines for the Bucks vs. Suns NBA Finals. Let’s take a closer look at the World Series odds, spreads and totals…
The first game will take place on Tuesday 6 July at 9 p.m. ET.
View: NBA Odds
View: NBA Futures
Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns – Head-to-head Stats
- Regular season (146 games): Suns – 75 wins, Bucks – 71 wins
- Playoffs played: Suns – 0 wins, Bucks – 2 wins
- Previous meeting: Suns won 128-127 in OT on April 19, 2021 in a regular season fixture
Road to the Finals
The Suns made the playoffs for the first time in ten years and are in their first NBA Finals since 1993, while the Bucks haven’t reached the Finals since 1974.
After a 4-2 Western Conference Finals victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Phoenix enters the Finals with a little more rest time than the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks won the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2 over the Atlanta Hawks, but the series didn’t end until Saturday night.
The Suns squad appear to be in better shape right now. This is reflected in the NBA Finals odds which opened with the Phoenix Suns as -170 favourites to win the best-of-seven World Series with the Milwaukee Bucks as +145 underdogs according to Bovada’s NBA odds.
The Suns have an implied win probability of 62.7%, while the Bucks have a 40.8% implied win probability.
Bucks vs Suns Team News
The Suns’ Chris Paul has been plagued by injuries for much of his playoff career is now making the most of this run. Following a first-quarter shoulder injury in Game 1 against the Lakers and a COVID protocol takedown to start the West Finals, Paul now appears to be free of injuries and back to his brilliant best.
However the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future remains uncertain. It was amazing to hear that his horrific leg injury caused no structural damage but he hasn’t played since going down late in the third quarter of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
2021 NBA Finals Stats
- The Bucks are averaging 109.3 points per game this postseason, while the Suns are a close second at 108.9 points per game
- These also the top two defensive teams in terms of points allowed in the playoffs.
- In their first three series, Phoenix has allowed only 101.9 points per game, while Milwaukee has allowed 103.5 points per game.
- Bucks are second in the playoffs in points in the paint (51.8) and first in offensive rebounding (12.8 per night).
- Phoenix is shooting an above-average 37.3 percent from three-point range
- Milwaukee ranks seventh in three-point defence, allowing opponents to shoot only 34.2 percent.
- The Bucks have the fifth-worst turnover rate in the NBA, at over 13 per game
- Phoenix ranks third in the playoffs in terms of points taken off turnovers.
Who will win the 2021 NBA Final Series?
There are some fascinating matchups to look forward to. Jrue Holiday is the best guard defender in the NBA, and he’ll almost certainly be assigned to Chris Paul. That will leave PJ Tucker bodying up Devin Booker.
Deandre Ayton has been outstanding in the centre of the court, averaging 16.2 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 70.6 percent from the field.
Jabari Parker and Mikal Bridges will also be dividing time between Giannis and Khris Middleton, who is coming off a game winning performance against the Hawks. He ended Game 6 with 32 points and seven assists including a game-changing 23-point third quarter.
Overall, with a more complete squad, more rest time, the Phoenix Suns look the likely winners of their first ever NBA Championship.
NBA Finals Odds Analysis
The opening NBA Finals series odds look about right. However, the results have been very unpredictable throughout the playoffs. which could be due an unusual Covid affected season.
If you’re looking to bet on the Bucks, now is probably the best time to get on as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s comeback should see Milwaukee’s odds shorten. If you’re leaning towards betting Phoenix, it’s possible to get better odds by predicting the exact outcome but -170 with Bovada looks perfectly acceptable for the title win.
* NBA Finals odds correct at the time of writing. All betting odds are subject to changes.
Darren lives & breathes sports betting and is always sniffing out his next value bet. His favourite sports to bet on are the NFL, horse racing and UFC but he will bet on anything if he thinks the odds are favourable.
