NBA Finals Have Finally Arrived: Betting Guide for 2021

The NBA Finals are set to begin on Tuesday night when the Phoenix Suns host the Milwaukee Bucks. Both the Suns and Bucks were not expected to reach the NBA Finals this season, but each team has been impressive in the NBA Playoffs.

Phoenix won the Western Conference by beating the LA Clippers in a six-game series. The Suns also got past the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets during this run.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games to win the Eastern Conference Finals. Milwaukee upset the Brooklyn Nets in the second round and swept the Miami Heat in the opening series.

The Phoenix Suns are 5.5-point favorites in Game 1 of the series on Tuesday night, and they are also the betting favorites to win the title. Currently, the Suns are listed at -154, while the Milwaukee Bucks are being offered at +125.

Suns Defense Will Play a Role

The Phoenix Suns allowed just 107.4 points per game this season, and they have actually been better than that in the postseason. The old adage says that “Defense wins championships,” and that just might work for the Suns.

Devin Booker is scoring 27 points per game for the Suns in the playoffs, and he is emerging as a star. Deandre Ayton has chipped in with 16.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, and he is going to be a matchup problem for the Bucks.

It has been veteran Chris Paul that has made the biggest difference for the Suns. He will be playing in his first NBA Finals in his legendary career, and he is ready to lead his team to a title.

How Healthy is Giannis?

Giannis Antetokoumpo went down with a bad knee injury in Game 4 of the ECF, and he has not been back since. Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful for the series opener, and his absence is going to be a big problem for Milwaukee.

Without the “Greek Freak” in the lineup, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are going to have to step up. Middleton scored 16 straight points for the Bucks in the clinching game last series, and Holiday has proven that he can make some plays.

The Bucks want to play much faster than the Suns, but their depth really takes a hit when Antetokounmpo is not in the lineup.

Phoenix is Not Messing Around

The Suns have lost just four total games so far in the postseason, and now the Bucks have to beat them four times in seven games. This seems like a huge task for Milwaukee, even though the Bucks already knocked off the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs.

Having homecourt advantage is going to help the Suns in this matchup, and the crowd in Phoenix is going to be rocking. Milwaukee is going to have to find a way to steal a game on the road, and that just doesn’t seem likely.

The Bucks are going to make this series interesting, but there is a reason that the Suns are the betting favorites. Expect plenty of close games in the NBA Finals, but the Suns clearly have the momentum coming into this series.