Bucks NBA Championship Odds Crater Following Damian Lillard Calf Injury News

Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard has recently missed time with a calf injury, and it appears much worse than originally expected.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Lillard is expected to be out indefinitely with a blood clot in his calf. While Charania did not rule out a return this season for the All-Star guard, oddsmakers aren't sold on the Bucks as a title contender.

Milwaukee, which was as high as +5000 at some sportsbooks to win the NBA Finals before the news, has fallen to +6500 at DraftKings Sportsbook following the Lillard update.

Milwaukee Bucks: Damian Lillard has sustained a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his right calf. Lillard is on blood-thinning medication, which has stabilized the blood clot, and will continue with regular testing. He is out indefinite period. pic.twitter.com/CC7k9bXnZV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 26, 2025

The current No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee has also been down one of its better scorers recently -- Bobby Portis -- after he was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA's performance-enhancing drug policy.

This season, Lillard is averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game across 58 games for the Bucks. He's also shooting the ball better than he did last season, knocking down 44.8 percent of his attempts from the field and 37.6 percent from 3. Last season, Lillard shot just 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.

With the star guard out for potentially the rest of the season, the Bucks are far from a contender in an Eastern Conference that features two elite teams in the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Milwaukee could be in danger of falling behind the Detroit Pistons in the standings, as they are just 0.5 games back heading into Tuesday night's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

For now, the Bucks will have to lean heavily on two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to keep them afloat and in the mix for a top-four seed in the conference.

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