This is a 10* TOP THURSDAY TOTAL on the OVER Nets/Bucks.

Why is Game 3 going to go OVER the total, when the first two games went well UNDER the number?

Clearly, Milwaukee is going to have to be the aggressor here. The Nets have somehow suddenly learned how to play defense now that the Playoffs are here.

But the shift in venue and the desperation level in which I expect the Bucks to play with today will help in contributing to Game 3 finally being more of a wide-open offensive affair.

Milwaukee plays better at home, and this is essentially a "do or die" game for the Bucks, as clearly a 3-0 hole against the Nets would just be too much to climb out of. The James Harden loss has just added fuel to the fire, but knowing that The Beard will return sometime in the next week or so will have Brooklyn feeling confident here as well.

The Bucks haven't been able to slow down the Nets whatsoever, and I don't expect that trend to change here.

While the first two games have been low-scoring defensive affairs, everything points to Game 3 finally eclipsing the posted number.

The play is the OVER.

Good luck, NP