Boston Celtics will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals on Tuesday evening. The hosts will search for improvement after a very poor display in Game 1. The away side is looking forward to building up on its latest performance and grabbing a huge lead in this series.
Boston had a terrible Sunday afternoon, and they don’t want to repeat that display again. The home side will be in big trouble if they lose once more at TD Garden. On the other hand, Milwaukee can play without any pressure to secure a 2-0 lead. The visitors want to pick up where they left off and move the series home with a great advantage.
Boston Celtics – Can they improve their game?
The Celtics’ five-game winning streak ended on Sunday afternoon after losing to the Bucks in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals. It was a poor performance that resulted in a 101-89 defeat. Despite hitting 18 three-pointers, Boston had a terrible 33.3 field goal percentage. Also, they were not disciplined enough in defense while having six rebounds less than their rivals. Moreover, the Celtics had four turnovers more than their opponents. They need to bounce back and put a better performance to avoid having a big problem.
Jayson Tatum has been the most efficient player in the Celtics’ offense in the playoffs, scoring 27.8 points and having a team-high seven assists. Jaylen Brown averages 20.4 pts, six rebounds, 4.2 assists, and tops the steals charts with 2.4 per match. Marcus Smart produces 15.2 pts, followed by 6.8 assists and 1.4 steals, while Al Horford controls the paint with eight rebs and scores 12.8 points. Grant Williams is another Boston player that contributes with a double-digit number of points. Regarding the selection issues, the Celtics shouldn’t have any ahead of this clash.
Expected Line-Up: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams III
with best odds
Milwaukee Bucks – Will they return home with a huge lead?
The Bucks booked a huge win in the series opener against the Celtics and took over the home-court advantage. It was their fourth straight win, and the visitors are now full of confidence. Although they were not too impressive in the offense, their rivals didn’t have a solution for their disciplined defense. Milwaukee had a 41.1 field goal percentage, while they scored 35.3% of shots from the three-pointer area. The Bucks also controlled the paint and kept their number of turnovers under control.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has contributed the most to the Bucks’ offense with 27.8 points and tops the rebounds and assists charts with 13.3 and 7.2, respectively. Jrue Holiday has contributed with 17.8 pts, 6.5 assists, 5.7 rebs, and 1.2 steals per game. Grayson Allen, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez produce 12+ pts per match each, while Khris Middleton averaged 14.5 points in his two appearances against the Bulls. However, he will still be out of the contest in this series, as well as George Hill.
Expected Line-Up: Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, Grayson Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Expert Pick #1 – Milwaukee Bucks +4.5 @-110
The Celtics are favorites despite a defeat in Game 1, but Milwaukee played pretty well in that match, and I see the value in backing them in this encounter. Boston shouldn’t be so bad as in the previous game, but the Bucks have played well on the road, and they could cover the number. That’s why I’ll take the away side as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 215.5 @-110
Milwaukee was excellent in defense in the series opener, and I expect them to continue in the same fashion. The Under cashed in their last six matches, and this one should follow the same pattern. Therefore, I’m going with the Under as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Boston Celtics Under 109.5 @-105
Boston needs to improve since they don’t want to lose this game as well, but the Bucks should keep them under a 109.5 margin. The hosts shouldn’t have bad numbers as in the first match, but I don’t see them producing more than 109 pts. The odds are slightly higher than in the first two picks, and I’ll grab this one as the second alternative.
