The Boston Celtics take a 2-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal round to Milwaukee, hoping to put the Bucks in a deep 3-0 hole on Friday night. The Celtics needed overtime to win Game One but then took the game to the Bucks in Game Two, winning convincingly, 120-106. The Bucks need to figure out what to do when opposing teams focus on stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Celtics need to continue to find the scoring that they lost when Kyrie Irving went down for the rest of the season. Take a look at our NBA odds preview of this playoff matchup.
Boston at Milwaukee NBA Odds & Game 4 Preview – April 20th
When: Friday, April 20, 2018, 9:30pm ETWhere: BMO Harris Bradley Center, MilwaukeeTV: ESPNRadio: WBZ 95.7 FM Boston / WTMJ 620 AM MilwaukeeLive Stream: WatchESPNNBA Odds: Milwaukee -6.5, O/U 202.5
Why should you bet on the Celtics?
The Celtics looked shaky in the early going of Game One but have since built their confidence to the point where a sweep isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Jaylen Brown has stepped up big time in the absence of Irving and Marcus Smart, putting up 30 points in Game Two. Terry Rozier scored 23 points and eight assists, Marcus Morris has 18 points off the bench, and Al Horford chipped in 16 points and four assists. Boston shot well on the night (53%), but the better number came on the defensive end, as they forced 15 turnovers, generating 21 points the other way.
The question now for Boston is whether they can generate that same sort of urgency on the road, and with a 2-0 lead. They realized that they needed to rev up the effort during the first half of the series opener, but there is a danger that they could sink into the comfort of realizing the series lead that they have now. Milwaukee has a collection of talented players but has a real leadership vacuum; if they find a way to coalesce together, the Celtics could find themselves in some trouble on the road.
Why should you put your money on the Bucks?
The Bucks are finding some balance on offense, as Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 30 points, nine boards and eight assists, and Khris Middleton went 10 for 14 to score 25 points. John Henson and Eric Bledsoe also found double figures, scoring 12 points apiece. The team shot 59 percent from the night, including 7 for 17 from downtown. So why didn’t they win? They dug themselves a big hole early thanks to poor ball security, and the Celtics took advantage of the turnovers to build an early lead.
So who else could up their game as the series heads to Wisconsin? Tony Snell started Game Two and played 22 minutes — but only had two points. Jabari Parker gobbled up some valuable minutes but didn’t score at all. Expect to see more action out of Malcolm Brogdon, though, as he put up 10 points in just 19 minutes on the floor. The Bucks also need to figure out their defensive scheme, because the Celtics put up 120 points despite the fact that (in addition to Irving) Marcus Smart is out for the first round.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Boston has covered the spread in each of the last five meetings between the two teams. In their last 21 meetings, the underdog has covered 14 times, and the road team has covered 11 times in the last 17 meetings. The Bucks will come out with more energy at home, but the Celtics have the weapons to keep this one close. I’m predicting a final score of Milwaukee 118, Boston 115 — which means I like Boston to cover here. If the Celtics can eke out a win, though, it’s hard to see the Bucks pushing this series back to Boston for a fifth game.
