Bucks vs. Nets: Game 5 betting odds, preview, and pick

The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are set to square off tied at two wins apiece in their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The outcome of the best-of-seven affair may unfortunately hinge on a number of key injuries rather than each team trying to outplay the other at their best. Let’s take a closer look.

Can KD Win Playing 1-On-5?

Kevin Durant will be without both James Harden and Kyrie Irving in Tuesday night’s contest. Harden has been sidelined since suffering a strained hamstring in the first game of the series, while Irving rolled his ankle in Game 4. With both guards off the floor, Milwaukee pulled away in the second half to tie the series at two wins apiece.

Durant put up 28 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4, but shot just 1-for-8 from 3-point range. As a whole, the offense struggled from the perimeter, going just 10-for-33, and the Nets will certainly need to find ways to be more efficient Tuesday night.

Bucking Trends

Milwaukee fell behind 2-0 in the series with a pair of losses in Brooklyn. However, two wins in Wisconsin have the Bucks right back in the series, and with the Nets dealing with a sidelined backcourt, Milwaukee is favored by 4.5 points. The Over/Under total, meanwhile, sits at 217.

At full strength, the Nets are likely the better team, but that’s not the squad that will take the floor tonight. Brooklyn is battered and needs to find ways to replace not one, but two elite players against a team that seems to have shaken off some early-series jitters. As good as Kevin Durant is, I just don’t see that happening. Give me the Bucks covering the point spread, and give me them as early as possible, because I think that spread may inch up.

Brooklyn will struggle to score

I’m also interested in the Under here. No Harden and no Irving means the Nets may struggle to score, and when it comes to the Over/Under, it more often than not takes two teams to tango in order for the number to be cleared. I don’t think that happens here, so I’ll root for defense.

NBA PICKS: Bucks -4.5 and Under 217