Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction: Reigning champion to step down

"The best two words in basketball are 'Game 7'," were statements flashed in recent postgame interviews by Jaylen Brown and Devin Booker. Brown, along with Boston, will open game day and try to beat Milwaukee again. Will the Celtics please their fans this time?

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have been considered one of the best defensive teams in the NBA for a year now, and it was their defensive skills that allowed Boston to stay afloat and move their series with Milwaukee to Game 7. Al Horford and Grant Williams are generally decent against Giannis Antetokounmpo, and even the loss of Robert Williams was not critical for the Celtics. Now the Timelord is still in the infirmary, his participation in question. Jayson Tatum isn't always a joy on offense, but he's averaging 28.8 points per game in the playoffs. Tatum was the centerpiece of Game 6 against Milwaukee: the young forward scored 46 points on 17-of-32 shooting from the field. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart also shot well from beyond the arc, hitting 16 three-pointers along with Tatum. The final score was 108-95 in favor of Boston.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are struggling without Khris Middleton, and one of the club's leaders likely won't be out for the final game against Boston. Jrue Holiday is throwing even more often now, though the team somehow redistributed the shots in favor of the role players in Game 6. Pat Connaughton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis are capable of pulling Milwaukee in individual games, but over the long haul, they are not as effective as they would like to be. Giannis Antetokounmpo can't be criticized at all: he's scored at least 30 points in 4 straight games, hitting something like 50% of his shots from the field. The Greek forward might just get fouled less often on offense, but his aggressive play does pay off.

Last game against Boston, Giannis even hit 2 of 3 three-pointers, as well as 14 of 15 free throws, which is not very typical for the Greek. His teammates, however, were once again held back by three-pointers, and the only other player to help out on offense was Pat Connaughton, who had 14 points.

Head-to-head encounters

Boston and Milwaukee have five wins each in their last 10 head-to-head encounters. In their last home game, the Celtics blew the ending and lost by a score of 107-110. Robert Williams wasn't on the floor in that game either, and neither was Khris Middleton for the Bucks.

Key stats

• Boston has 7 wins in 10 home games;
• Milwaukee won 8 of the last 10 road games;
• Boston is No.8 in the NBA offensive rankings among all teams in the playoffs, with Milwaukee at No. 13.

Expert Betting Tips

In Game 7 of the series, the stakes are higher than ever, and the teams will give it their best in almost every attack. Boston are particularly good at home, having learned from their mistakes in the past when they blew a 10-point lead. The Celtics shot well from beyond the arc in their last meeting, but in the series with Milwaukee they haven't done it as often as they would have liked. The Bucks were able to pack the paint in key moments the game before last, thanks to Giannis, and that's one of the visitors' biggest trump cards. All in all, we can expect nothing less than a tight and competitive battle from the teams ranked #1 and #4 in the defensive playoff standings, so I suggest we bet on the following outcomes:

• Total Under (208.5) for 1.752;
• Handicap Boston (-5.5) for 1.95;
• Boston To Win + Total Under (206.5) for 2.75.

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