As the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs continue, there’s only one game scheduled for Thursday night’s action. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty big matchup as the Brooklyn Nets look to eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of their series. After the Bucks tied the series up 2-2, the Nets took the 3-2 lead following a 114-108 comeback victory on Tuesday. Now, can Brooklyn get the job done tonight? Or will Milwaukee force a Game 7?
Continue reading to see Bovada’s odds on tonight’s NBA action.
NBA Odds: Brooklyn Nets (No. 2) vs Milwaukee Bucks (No. 3) Game 6
Odds via Bovada as of Thursday, June 17
- Series: BKN leads 3-2
- Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Nets (+180) vs Bucks (-220)
- Point Spread: Nets +5.5 (-110), Bucks -5.5 (-110)
- Total: 220.5 — Over (-110), Under (-110)
Nets Entering as Underdogs
Despite a comeback victory on Tuesday, the Nets will enter Thursday’s NBA action as the +180 underdogs. However, they shouldn’t fret too much. Especially when they have the best basketball player in the world at the moment, Kevin Durant. The two-time NBA Finals MVP put on a legendary performance in Game 5, playing in all 48 minutes while finishing with 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. With Kyrie Irving being out again and James Harden being available yet banged up, Durant will once again have to lead the way if the Nets hope to win.
One thing that is working against Brooklyn is the fact that the team is 0-2 on the road this series. The Nets have been outscored 193-179 in Milwaukee this series, which means they need to figure out how to get the job done tonight. Someone else who needs to be better on Thursday is Joe Harris. The 29-year-old veteran shot 18.2% from the field and 14.3% from the 3-point line in Game 5, finishing with 5 points. With Irving out and Harden not being 100%, the Nets need Harris to be a reliable option in case Durant can’t have another all-time great game.
NBA Odds: Bucks Trying to Stave off Elimination
The Bucks looked like they had everything under control in Game 5. They were up 59-43 at halftime. Then, everything slipped away and they find themselves facing elimination tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished the loss with 34 points and 12 rebounds, however, he couldn’t come up clutch when the team needed him to make his free throws. The Bucks need him to be better than in Game 6, especially if he wants to be considered one of the top NBA players. Fortunately, Antetokounmpo will have a chance to do that on Thursday. After the Game 5 loss, he said that wants to guard Durant in the next contest. If he gets the assignment, Antetokounmpo must do a successful job or else he’ll lose some credibility.
Another player who needs to be better is Khris Middleton. He’s supposed to be the Buck’s No. 2 guy and even though he finished with 25 points in Game 5, he did it on .364/.300/.857 shooting. All in all, the Bucks need to show a killer instinct in Game 6. If they get the lead, they need to close it out as soon as possible instead of playing fancy. They also need to attack Harden as much as possible, which is something they rarely did last game. Instead of putting all of their attention on Durant, the Bucks need to exploit any weakness they can find in the Nets’ lineup. Otherwise, they can forget about returning to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018-19.
