NBA Betting: How the Giannis Injury Affects the Bucks Chances of Playoff Success

A silence fell over Bucks’ nation last night when Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a calf injury. The former MVP had to be helped off the court and into the locker room. The good news is that it seems he avoided the dreaded Achilles tear. The bad news is the Bucks are in a crowded Eastern Conference race with three important games remaining.

Below, we will share the Bucks current odds to win the Eastern Conference and the Finals along with insights into how Giannis’s injury will impact the team. You’ll get everything you need to bet confidently on betting apps during the NBA Playoffs. 

While Giannis should be able to return as soon as the first round, sportsbooks have dropped their odds to win the ECF and NBA Finals. Below are the latest odds from some of the top betting sites.

Before you place your bets on the Bucks’ playoff future, check out our sportsbook promos page to ensure you don’t miss out on any bonuses.

The injury could not have come at a worse time for Milwaukee. They have three games remaining against the Magic (twice) and Thunder. The Bucks currently hold the second spot in the East, but by only one game over the Knicks and two over the Magic and Cavs. That means its conceivable for them to lose out and finish as low as sixth.

Milwaukee has underperformed all season, and they have been bad without Giannis. Damian Lillard has struggled to find his place on the team alongside a fellow superstar, preventing the Bucks from becoming the power they’d hoped to be. It also didn’t help that they ditched their rookie coach early in the season.

The Bucks’ defense has improved under Doc Rivers, but they are just 16-17 with the veteran coach at the helm. That has been with a mostly healthy Giannis, signaling things could get worse over the final week of the season.

While everybody is selling on the Bucks, our USA Legal Betting experts aren’t so sure for a couple of reasons.

First, we see this injury giving Dame one last chance to find himself. While he is averaging 24.4 points, he is only making 42.5% of his shots. Some of that can be attributed to Dame trying to figure out how to play with the team and Giannis. Now he will be the team’s lone over the team’s final three games, all of which are important.

Nobody is better under pressure than Lillard, and his role could be the spark he has been needing. Like in Portland, he’ll be the key to the team’s success and playoff future. If he can capitalize on this run, it could give him the confidence he lost over one of the worst shooting seasons of his career.

In addition to the chance for Dame to lead, the Bucks also have an advantage of being a highly seeded understood in the playoffs. They entered with the best record in the NBA last season but fell victim to the Heat in the first round. Like the Bucks, nobody expected the Heat to make any noise in the playoffs. Miami ended up in the finals, and they didn’t have anywhere near the talent of the Bucks’

That underdog role could come in handy if or when they meet the Celtics. Boston has had an issue putting away weaker teams, which is how the Bucks are being viewed. Milwaukee has one of the greatest clutch shooters in history in Damian Lillard, giving them an edge against Boston (and everyone else) when the game is close at the end.