NBA Finals Betting Picks, Predictions,Odds & Lines Game 3

The Bucks will look to find their way back in the series as they host the Suns in Game 3 of the 2021 NBA Finals. The matchup takes place on Sunday night at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. It’s desperation time for the Bucks who are staring at the abyss after going 2-0 down. Giannis and co have lost both of the opening games by a double-digit margin. Now, they’ll try to rebound in front of their own fans. The Bucks have been dominant at home lately, as they lost only once in their last 16 home games. The Suns, on the other hand, will feel confident after two convincing wins at the Phoenix Arena. They have now won 13 out of the last 15 games, covering the spread 12 times. On the road, Phoenix is 6-1 ATS in the last 7. The Suns have also won the last 5 contests against the Bucks, both straight up and against the spread.

Line Movement

Despite losing the first two games, the Bucks are home favorites for this one. The line opened at -3.5, but has increased a bit and now stands at -4. The total also saw a slight rise, moving from 222 to 222.5.

Notes On Phoenix Suns

In Game 1, the Suns destroyed the Bucks from the midrange. On Thursday, however, it was the shooting from the deep that made the difference. Phoenix players hit 50% from the three, shooting 20-40. It was only the third time in the NBA Finals history that a team has hit 20 or more three-pointers. On the other side of the court, they managed to limit the Bucks to only 29% from beyond the arc. Devin Booker and Chris Paul were once again the key players for the Suns. Booker scored 31 and added 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Chris Paul started slowly, but still managed to get to 23 points and 8 assists, As usual, the Suns had one of the role players step up and have a big game, This time it was Mikal Bridges with 27 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor. Still, a great shooting night masked some of the issues the Suns struggled with in Game 2. They were outrebounded and lost the turnover battle while allowing the Bucks to dominate in the paint.

Torey Craig may join Dario Saric on the sidelines, as he suffered a knee injury on Thursday. At the moment, Craig is listed as questionable.

Notes on Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks could’ve easily come home with a 1-1 score but the poor shooting came to haunt them once more. Missing open threes has become a staple of Milwaukee’s performances this postseason. This time, they hit only 9 out of 31 shots from the deep. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday both had an awful shooting night, combining for 12-37 from the field. Still, there were some positives for coach Bud to take from this game. Giannis looked fully healthy and had a fantastic game. He scored 42 points and added 12 rebounds and 4 assists. He was also improved from the FT line, going 11-18. While they lost the battle on the perimeter, the Bucks dominated inside. They outscored the Suns 54-28 under the rim. Furthermore, they controlled the boards, especially on the offensive end. They had 7 offensive rebounds more than their opponent and scored 23 second-chance points.

Donte DiVincenzo remains the only absentee for the Bucks.

Betting Pick: The Bucks -4

The Bucks were closer to the win in Game 2 than the scoreline suggests. Slightly improved shooting and at least one more decent performance behind Giannis should get them over the hump this time. They made some adjustments on Thursday and matched up against the Phoenix offense much better. In addition, the Suns are up for some regression from long range. Plus, with Saric and Craig likely out, their depth will suffer. The Bucks are always strong at home and have stepped up before in do-or-die situations.