Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 30/04/2022, 08:15  by Joseph King | Modified on 30/04/2022 at 15:15 in Basketball Predictions

Game one of the Eastern Conference second round sees the Celtics taking on the defending champion Bucks at the TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics advanced to this round after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round while the Bucks got past the Chicago Bulls with a series score of four games to one. Boston, the second-seed, are the favorites to advance to the conference finals over the fourth-seed Milwaukee with a series price of around 1.55. One factor influencing that price is the absence of Bucks all-star Khris Middleton who went down in game two against Chicago with an MCL sprain. The injury places even more of the onus on two-time MVP Giannis Antetekounmpo, who will need to shoulder an even bigger load in the absence of Middleton’s 20 points per game average. The Bucks recovered superbly since the injury however, as despite losing game two would go on to close out the series with three straight victories. They face a much different prospect in this series however, as the Celtics have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams since the all-star break with a combined 21-5 record when including the playoffs. 

This could be a tough matchup for the defending champions without the presence of Middleton to divert some of the attention from Giannis. Boston are arguably the best defensive team in the league and have great versatility in the way they can both match up and defend, capable of throwing a myriad of different looks at the opposition’s star. Celtics all-star Jayson Tatum has taken a tremendous leap as it looks like the 24-year-old is ready to make the step to superstardom and is averaging 29.5 points per game in the playoffs so far. The Celtics have one of the best groups of defensive bigs in the league and should be able to limit Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis while building an effective wall to limit (as much as humanly possible) Giannis’ assault on the rim.