The best-of-seven series between the No. 4 Indiana Pacers and No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks begins on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET, and we’ve got three expert player props ready for all of the action at Fiserv Forum as the 2025 NBA playoffs officially get underway.
Here’s an in-depth look at those three player props, including a scoring prop in which we’ll be wagering on the OVER for Pascal Siakam (-110) on April 19.
Series Preview: No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
Game Preview: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers, 1:30 p.m. ET
Pascal Siakam OVER 19.5 Points vs. Bucks (-110 at FanDuel)
With the exception of backup center Thomas Bryant, who likely won’t see a ton of time in this series, Siakam is the one player on the Pacers with championship experience after capturing a title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. During Indiana’s run to the conference finals last season, the three-time All-Star led the team in scoring (21.6 points), shot attempts (17.1), and minutes (35.4), and those numbers should maintain one year later as head coach Rick Carlisle leans on Siakam once again.
That was certainly the case during the regular season across four games against Milwaukee, as Siakam contributed 24 points on 55.2-percent shooting to go along with 8.5 rebounds and three assists in 35.3 minutes per game. Most importantly, as it pertains to the 19.5-points prop established by oddsmakers for Game 1, Siakam went OVER every single time and finished with 25 or more points on three occasions.
As we’ve already witnessed in the initial play-in tournament games, and what’s been a common trend in the postseason anyway, starters tend to get extended run in this setting as rotations get shortened with days between games and no more back-to-back scenarios. Tyrese Haliburton is the facilitator and engine of the Pacers, but Siakam is clearly the No. 1 scoring option and someone to keep a close eye on to see what he contributes offensively as this series progresses.
Giannis Antetokounmpo OVER 7.5 Assists vs. Pacers (+100 at FanDuel)
The return of Damian Lillard from a blood clot issue may be sooner than we think, and perhaps even in this series, but for now, his absence leaves a gapping hole in the starting lineup which superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to continue compensating for. Lillard averaged 9.3 assists versus Indiana in four appearances in 2024-25, and with Bucks head coach Doc Rivers putting the rock in Antetokounmpo’s hands more, his own assist numbers saw a noticeable uptick to close out the campaign, which is why we’re going with this particular bet.
The Greek Freak needs eight or more dimes to achieve an OVER on Saturday, and following those aforementioned adjustments by Rivers, the former league Most Valuable Player managed to record double-digit assists in five of his last six outings. This includes a 20-assist performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 6 which was a career high for the 12-year pro.
Against the Pacers in particular, Antetokounmpo did go UNDER in three of the four games with the lone OVER coming much earlier in the season on Nov. 22. The final two matchups, however, did see him finish with exactly seven assists to come awfully close, and Lillard was active both times accumulating 19 total assists across those games himself. Take him out of the equation, and you’re left with a lot more breathing room and opportunities for Antetokounmpo to achieve the numbers he needs for bettors.
Bobby Portis OVER 23.5 Points + Rebounds vs. Pacers (-113 at FanDuel)
With no Lillard and veteran Khris Middleton now in the nation’s capital with the Washington Wizards, Antetokounmpo’s most reliable teammate left standing on the Bucks could very well be Bobby Portis, with all due respect to Brook Lopez.
Portis managed to get three games in after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds while converting exactly half of his shot attempts. He went OVER a combined 23.5 points and rebounds, which is the number set for Saturday on the road, in two of those three games and finished second on Milwaukee in boards each time behind Antetokounmpo.
The Pacers ranked 22nd overall in rebounds allowed to opposing power forwards, according to Odds Shark’s metrics, and Portis played 82 percent of his minutes at the four spot this season with occasional spurts at center. The 30-year-old big man did go OVER this mark the two times he suited up versus Indiana, as well, and also did so in five of the six games when these teams squared off in last year’s playoffs.
