2010 NBA Playoffs: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks Prediction: April 17th 2010

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks
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The 2010 NBA playoffs start on Saturday afternoon, and the Milwaukee Bucks will look to pull off an upset and take a 1-0 series lead at Phillips Arena on Saturday night when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in basketball betting action. The Bucks, who finished second in the Central Division this year, will have to find a way to overcome a season-ending injury to C Andrew Bogut. Atlanta ended the regular season several games in the rears of the Orlando Magic in the Southeast Division, but the Hawks are still considered a legitimately contender for the Eastern Conference crown.

Unless someone is going to step out of nowhere and really take over the scoring reins, the pressure is really going to be on the Milwaukee defense to keep Atlanta at arm’s length in Game 1 of this series. The Bucks were a solid defensive club this year, allowing just 96.0 points per game. However, second chance opportunities weren’t earned easily by their foes because of Bogut’s presence on the defensive glass. Still, holding teams to just 34.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc had nothing to do with Bogut, and is a number that must remain low for Milwaukee to have a chance of pulling off the NBA betting upset.

Meanwhile, the Hawks are going to probably try to run the Bucks out of the gym in Game 1 to set the tone for this series. G Mike Bibby can really keep the offense flowing at a quick clip, and the trio that he makes with Gs Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford is a lethal combination. Crawford and Johnson are both nothing but pure scorers. Johnson picked up 21.3 points per game this year, while Crawford brought a kick start off of the bench quite often this season while averaging 18.0 points per game.

These two teams have to be a little familiar with each other at this point having met on Monday night. Atlanta won by eight points at the Bradley Center, which could be a bad sign for Milwaukee. Still, it’s hard to not expect a close game when these two teams play, as their L/5 NBA wagering wars have been decided by eight points or less.

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