Free NBA Pick: Bucks vs. Celtics NBA Odds
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2022 NBA Playoffs Handicapping Round 2
(0-0) Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics (0-0)
Date: Sunday, May 1st
Time: 1:00 PM EST
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
NBA Moneyline Odds: Bucks +176 | Celtics -178 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Celtics -4.5
NBA Betting Total: 217.5
Game one of the Eastern Conference semi-finals between the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and second-seeded Boston Celtics tips off on Sunday, May 1st.
Both teams finished the season with identical 51-31 records but the Celtics landed the second seed unafraid of facing what was considered the tougher opponent (Nets) while the Bucks rested their core to nab the much-preferred opponent (Bulls).
The Celtics were the lone team to sweep their first-round series taking down the preseason favorites to win the title – the Brooklyn Nets while the Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls in a gentleman’s sweep.
Boston will host Game 1 today, Game 2, Tuesday, May 3rd, *Game 5, Wednesday, May 11th, and *Game 7, Sunday, May 15th while Milwaukee will host Game 3, Saturday, May 7th, Game 4, Monday, May 9th, and *Game 6, Friday, May 13th (*if necessary).
The teams split the 2021-22 season series 2-2 with Boston winning the initial two matches on November 12th (122-113 in overtime) and December 13th (117-103) while Milwaukee won the latter two contests on December 25th (117-113) and April 7th (127-121).
Boston holds the all-time advantage having won 114 times of the club’s 223 regular-season meetings. This is the seventh occasion these clubs have met in the postseason with the Celtics also owning the advantage of winning five series although the Bucks took their last meeting in 2019 winning 4-1 in the semi-finals.
Milwaukee Bucks
The defending champions are a quarter of the way to their goal of repeating and recognize this might be the toughest test they face this postseason.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-way player Jrue Holiday, and their other supporting players will need to pick up additional scoring with secondary scoring option Khris Middleton out for this round due to a sprained MCL.
Antetokounmpo averaged 28.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.4 blocks shooting 56.8 percent from the field with 12.0 trips to the charity stripe in the first round
On the plus side, the Bucks can count on their superstar to lead them but will sorely miss Middleton who is one of their only lengthy wing defenders so may need to rely on Lopez and Portis picking up some of the defensive slack.
In the first round, Milwaukee dealt with stopping a guard-heavy Bulls squad but against the Celtics, they’ll be tasked with stopping two of the better two-way wings in the league – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Khris Middleton ( knee) – is expected to miss the entire second-round series against Boston, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. George Hill (abdomen) didn’t play in the first round and is questionable to play Sunday.
Boston Celtics
Taking down the Nets via a sweep has vaulted the Celtics into consideration as arguably the team to beat for the title. Jayson Tatum averaged 29.5 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals shooting 41.9 percent from the perimeter in the first round.
Granted, the Nets didn’t offer much resistance to anyone on the Celtics who’ll also be tasked with applying their defensive prowess toward slowing Antetokounmpo and a much longer team featuring Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis.
Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart may get some burn on Giannis but it’s more likely Al Horford and Robert Williams will be tasked with slowing the Bucks star and their big frontcourt.
The Celtics arrive at this match with no injuries to report.
NBA Betting Trends:
- Milwaukee is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games against Boston.
- Boston is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee’s last 5 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 12 of Boston’s last 16 games.
- The Bucks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.
- The Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
Free Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics NBA Prediction:
While the Bucks don’t have the same 3-point snipers to emulate the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that’s an area they’ll be able to attack the Celtics who allowed the Nets to shoot 42.2 percent from deep.
In contrast, the Bucks held the Bulls to 28.3 percent from deep which had been a weakness for Milwaukee in the regular season.
The Bucks arrive with the best postseason rating for opponent points (95.2) and field goal percentage (40.4%) but the Celtics are a much more talented and deep squad than the Bulls.
Boston ranked 14th in round 1 allowing 14.0 fast-break points but excelled offensively in all four miscellaneous categories including first for points scored off turnovers (21.8) and fast-break scoring (18) and fourth for second-chance points (14.8) and points in the paint (48.5),
Both squads excelled at keeping their playoff opponents out of the paint with the Bucks ranked 1st (32.8) and the Celts 3rd (35.0) so the team who cracks that defensive scheme should gain a major edge.
The key to this series may be the glass where the Bucks dominated ranking first with 51.8 boards per game whereas the Celtics averaged 39.5 boards against a much smaller Nets squad.
In truth, neither team faced an opponent that offers a true measure of how this series will play out nor does the four games they played this season offer much insight given the Celtics’ improvement in the second half.
That said, I’m taking Boston to take the first game and grab the early series lead but the Bucks to keep the score closer than the spread.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: Bucks +4.5
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