Boston Celtics-Milwaukee Bucks: Match Preview, Stats, & Much More | 4 May

The Eastern Conference Second Round is in full flow now and defense has taken center stage during the Postseason. In this game, the Boston Celtics will host the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks beat the Celtics in the first game 101:89 as Antetokounmpo grabbed a 24-points triple-double while Holiday dropped 25 points, but it was the defense of the Bucks that got it done.

Handicap: Bookmakers from 22bet suggest that the Celtics have a better chance of winning the game and they have been given the odds of 1.50. Despite losing the last game, the bookmakers are giving the Celtics a better chance considering this is their home court and their elite defense will be in play. I do believe that the Celtics will bounce back here. I’d choose a handicap of -4.5. (Handicap 1 -4.5 for 1.90)

Player Props: Bookmakers at bet365 predict odds of 1.86 for Jayson Tatum going Over 6.5 Rebounds here(At least 7 rebounds). Tatum grabbed 6 rebounds in the last game and I believe with the number of missed shots, there are a lot of rebounding opportunities. I see him going over here. (Player Props: Player Rebounds: Jayson Tatum Over 6.5 for 1.86)

Total: Bookmakers at 1xbet give the Total of 215.5 the equal odds of 1.97 which is rather a bold take considering how the last game went. The last game fetched 190 points and both teams played incredible defense, especially the Bucks. I believe this will be another low-scoring game and I’d go “Under” here. (Total Under 215.5 for 1.97)

This match is available on the NBA League Pass.

The Celtics had a terrible Game 1, shooting a mere 33% in the last game. Their 60% of the shots were from beyond the arc and although they did make 18 from beyond the arc, they conceded an advantage on the turnover side. They had 18 turnovers compared to 13 by the Bucks and all their main players shot below 40% from the floor whereas Jaylen Brown turned it over a whopping seven times. The help defense of Lopez and the incredible individual defense of Holiday, Antetokounmpo, Portis, Matthews, Allen, and Connaughton made life tough for the Celts. Except for Tatum, none of the other players even get close to the 20 points mark. This is due to the Bucks’ defense that has picked up the intensity during the Postseason for sure. How will the Celtics respond to the elite defense of the Bucks in Game 2? 

The Bucks themselves didn’t have a smooth outing on the offensive end, getting shut out for major parts as Giannis Antetokounmpo shot a mere 36% while scoring 24 points. Jrue Holiday shot 8/20 but did a great job at navigating the Celtics defense and only turned it over twice. Connaughton and Allen combined for five triples on a more than decent percentage while Bobby Portis produced high-quality offense, shooting 50% from the floor. The length and athleticism of Giannis surely made a huge difference both on the defensive and the rebounding end, which has been one of the mainstays of the Bucks for a considerable time. The Bucks are an elite rebounding team, piercing 54 rebounds against a highly physical Celts team? Will the Bucks be able to keep the Celtics at bay here again?

• Celtics most likely starting five: PG: Marcus Smart | SG: Jaylen Brown | SF: Jayson Tatum | C: Al Horford | C: Daniel Theis;
• Key Bench Player: Grant Williams, Derrick White, Daniel Theis, Payton Pritchard;
• Bucks most likely starting five: PG: Jrue Holiday | SG: Wesley Matthews | PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo | C: Bobby Portis | C: Brook Lopez;
• Key Bench Players: Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Jevon Carter.