NBA betting: Can the underdog Hawks do it again vs. Bucks? Bettors think so
The Atlanta Hawks are underdogs yet again, and bettors are not hesitating to back them.
The Hawks are 8-point underdogs on the road Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks opened up as 7.5-point favorites, and the spread has since moved half a point to -8 at BetMGM. However, most of the action is on Atlanta. According to BetMGM, the Hawks have received 64% of the bets and 56% of the money as of early Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday night’s game marks the 11th time this postseason that the Hawks have been underdogs. The Hawks are 6-4 against the spread in those games. Better yet, they are 6-4 on the moneyline in those games, including a 5-2 mark on the road.
Three of those road wins came in Philadelphia as the Hawks upset the top-seeded 76ers in seven games. The Hawks were a 7.5-point underdog in Game 5 and a 6.5-point underdog in Game 7, yet won both games outright in Philly.
Will they do it again in Game 1 in Milwaukee? The Bucks are 3-2 ATS and 5-0 straight-up at home during the postseason. Most of the moneyline money — 70% — is on the Bucks, but 55% of the moneyline bets at BetMGM have been placed on the Hawks.
What about the over-under?
The total in this game has fallen pretty significantly since it opened up at 229.5. Specifically, the total has dropped four points to 225.5 as bets pour in on the under.
According to BetMGM, 79% of the bets and 85% of the money are on the under. That explains why the total has dropped over the last few days.
The under is 7-3-1 in Milwaukee’s 11 postseason games. Even better, the under is 9-3 in Atlanta’s 12 playoff games.
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