NBA Playoffs: Free NBA Picks Today for Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

NBA Playoffs: Free NBA Picks Today for Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021
Wed 23rd June 2021

The Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but who will draw first blood tonight? Our NBA Picks have the best analysis for the action that is about to unfold and we have predicted the winner of the clash too.

Before you place your bets on tonight’s action, don’t miss out on our NBA picks and analysis below!

Atlanta Hawks @ Milwaukee Bucks (Game 1) – 8:30pm EDT

After two grueling game sevens, the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, with game one being tonight. The Bucks will be thankful that, despite finishing third in the East, they will have home court advantage throughout this series, something that may come in handy given their superior home record in the regular season and playoffs. 

When looking at home records, Milwaukee’s regular season home record was third best in the East and fifth best in the entire league. Further to that, they are a perfect 5-0 at home in the postseason with an average winning margin of 13 points per game. These two sides met in Milwaukee just once during the regular season, with the Bucks running away 14 point winners, however Trae Young and Clint Capela didn’t play in that clash.

However, Atlanta can’t be dismissed just because they are on the road. The Hawks are coming off a series against the one-seed Sixers, who had the best home record in the East, and won three of four games in Philadelphia. They also won two of the three games in New York, one of the most difficult places to play in the league, in the opening round. 

Throughout the Hawks’ first 12 games of the playoffs, and the first 12 postseason games of his career, Young is averaging an incredible 29 points and 10.4 assists, leading the Hawks to a 8-4 record so far. Young is the clear leader and barometer for Atlanta, so how he fares against one of the best guard defenders in the league, Jrue Holiday, may determine how competitive the Hawks can be. 

Both Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter have been manning the wings, providing points and defense when Young has been swamped by opposing guards. Bogdanovic had averaged 16.4 points per game through the first nine, but has been battling an injury for the last three, managing just 5.7 over that span. That allowed Huerter to step up, scoring 17 points in game six, before a team-high 28 points in the closeout game seven. Danilo Gallinari has also provided a punch off the bench, averaging 14.7 points against Philly while scoring 15+ in five out of seven games.

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John Collins, while being inconsistent, averaged 12.1 points per game against the Sixers while scoring 19+ three times and finishing with double digit rebounds five times. However, in this series Collins won’t be asked to be a scorer, with his main focus on attempting to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two time MVP is averaging 28.8 points and 13.6 rebounds per game in the playoffs, having at least a double double in every game and leading the Bucks to a 8-3 record. 

The big positive for Milwaukee was the emergence of Khris Middleton as a genuine second option on a good playoff team. After multiple years of falling short in the postseason, and playing poorly in two losses in the first two games against Brooklyn, Middleton rocked up for the Bucks when it mattered most. With Milwaukee winning four of the last five games in the series, Middleton averaged 30 points, 8.6 rebounds, five assists and 2.6 steals over that span and is a big reason why the Bucks advanced. 

While Milwaukee won two of the three games between the two sides, Young didn’t play in two of those games, a win for either side, meaning it is tough to really judge what those matchups mean. 

For Atlanta, they have the best record in the East and second best record in the league since Nate McMillan took over as head coach, 35-15, while having the superior bench in this series. For the Bucks, their offense gives the Hawks a look they haven’t had to face yet with Giannis needing the best defender often leaving Middleton with a second rate defender and allowing him to get easy looks, while having the perfect defender to put on Young.

Atlanta has won both game ones so far this postseason, both on the road as underdogs, but we are giving the Bucks an edge here. Giannis is too big and strong for Collins to be able to guard him effectively and with Bogdanovic battling injury, Middleton should be able to thrive offensively. Holiday can focus on playing a defensive playmaker, putting all of his energy into slowing down Young and not having to worry about scoring, while Brook Lopez’s shooting ability will draw Clint Capela away from the basket, where he is most effective defensively. 

NBA Pick – Milwaukee Bucks (-375)
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Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel

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Tim is a keen follower of all American sports, in particular the NBA and NFL. He has followed both sports for over a decade and would happily sit down and watch every game, regardless of who is playing! No matter the sport, whether it be NFL and NBA or even MLB, NHL, UFC and all sports, Tim covers it from every angle, staying in the loop to bring you the most up-to-date information and the best picks and predictions on the market.