3 Bold Predictions for Bucks-Nets Game 4
By Peter Dewey
Game 3 between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks was a diversion from the high-scoring affairs (at least for the Nets) that we saw early in the series as Milwaukee pulled out an 86-83 win.
The Bucks are home underdogs on WynnBET for Sunday’s Game 4, but if they can match the same defensive effort from Game 3, there’s a good chance they will be in this one.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are coming off their worst shooting performances of the series, while Khris Middleton finally got back on track for the Bucks in Game 3, scoring 35 points.
This series has given us a plethora of different outcomes, including a high-scoring close game, a Nets blowout, and a low-scoring close game.
That should make today’s Game 4 extremely interesting, as Milwaukee may finally have a formula to compete with the Nets, who will once again be without James Harden.
Here are three bold player prop predictions for Bucks-Nets Game 4:
Kevin Durant Goes Under 5.5 Assists
When I broke down Durant’s player props for Game 3, I thought the under on his assists prop was intriguing at 5.5, and he hit it by totaling just five dimes in the loss.
WynnBET hasn’t changed his line, and somehow Durant’s under (+120) is a massive underdog to the over (-160) in Game 4. This feels like a no-brainer, as KD has gone over five assists just once all postseason, and it came in the Nets’ Game 2 blowout over Milwaukee.
He’s averaging just 3.6 assists per game, and while there is a bigger emphasis on his playmaking with Harden out, the Nets only had 15 assists as a team in Game 3.
Durant’s main job is to put the ball in the bucket (he’s the best in the NBA at doing it), and I think the Nets want him to get going after an 11-for-28 shooting performance in Game 3.
Bruce Brown Over 13.5 Combined Points and Assists
Brown has taken a lot of heat for his shot at the end of Game 3 that potentially cost the Nets a chance at winning the game.
With less than 10 seconds to play, Brown took an inbounds pass and drove right at Brook Lopez, missing a layup with the Nets trailing 84-83. Obviously, Brown has been blasted for not passing to Durant or Irving, but his teammates did support his decision to take this shot:
While I personally don’t love Brown’s shot selection here, he has been playing well this postseason. With Harden out of the lineup, Brown played 37:48 in Game 3 and he started the last two games in place of Harden.
Brown is 14-for-27 from the field since replacing Harden in the starting lineup, taking 10 and 17 shots in Game 2 and Game 3 respectively. He’s averaging 11.8 points and 2.8 assists per game over his last five contests.
Brown has been a lock to go over 13.5 points and dimes since moving to the starting lineup with 17 and 19 in the last two games, and I like him to stay hot in Game 4.
The over on this prop is set at -125 odds, and Brown may be able to surpass this total on points alone. If you feel confident in the 24-year-old guard, you can take the over on his 11.5-point player prop at -105 odds on WynnBET.
Khris Middleton Will Record a Double-Double
These are bold predictions for a reason, and I’m buying into the Khris Middleton bounce back from Game 3.
Middleton recorded his third double-double in the last four games with a 35-point, 15-rebound performance last time out and played 43:59 in the Bucks’ win.
He’s arguably been the Bucks’ best player this postseason, but his struggles in the first two games of the series killed Milwaukee’s chances of winning. Middleton has scored in double figures in every game this postseason, and if he can continue to rebound at a high rate (he’s averaging 8.6 per game this postseason) he could make for a fantastic bet to record a double-double at +210 odds.
The Bucks need to even the series if they want a legitimate chance of advancing to the next round, and it’s going to take a big game (and a lot of minutes) from both Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo to get it done.