The Milwaukee Bucks are so close to making the franchise’s first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2001 when Ray Allen was the sheriff in town. The Bucks shouldn’t overlook past the Boston Celtics, though, as Kyrie Irving and company will not just lay down their weapons and let Milwaukee waltz into the conference finals. Going into Wednesday’s big game, the sportsbook favors the Bucks by a relatively big margin, giving them 9.5-points to take out their opponent from the comforts of Fiserv Forum. NBA playoff series’ odds price Milwaukee at -5000 to win the series, while the Celtics are priced at +2000 to make it through the round. Read on for a preview of Game 5 of the Celtics-Bucks series.
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Betting Preview for the Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA Playoff Game on May 8, 2019
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
When: Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Boston Celtics (+9.5) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-9.5) – view all NBA lines
Series: Milwaukee leads, 3-1
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Boston Celtics (49-33 Regular Season)
A couple of days after vowing he’ll never shoot 8-for-22 from the field again, Kyrie Irving did follow through on that, albeit by doing worse. Irving shot 7-for-22 in Game 4’s 113-10 home loss to Milwaukee on Monday in what might also be Uncle Drew’s last game as Celtic at TD Garden. For the Celtics to get back in the series and avoid elimination, they definitely need Irving to play like the star he is, which he isn’t doing over the past two games at least. Irving is averaging 22.1 points on 39.9 field goal percentage. He’s gotten worse in the second round in which Irving is shooting just 37.3 percent, so far in the series against the Bucks. The pressure isn’t just on Irving, however. Gordon Hayward has also been a letdown, averaging just 7.5 points on 34.6 percent shooting over the last four games. Irving and Hayward are better than what those numbers suggest, so expect them to show up in Game 5.
The Celtics are one of the worst in the league when it comes to covering after a loss. Their season record is 14-21 against the spread (ATS) after dropping a game, covering just 40% of the time.
Betting on the Milwaukee Bucks (60-22 Regular Season)
The longer the series goes, the scarier Giannis Anterokounmpo gets. In Game 4’s road win over Boston, Antetokounmpo unloaded a series-high 39 points on 15-for-22 shooting to go with 16 rebounds and four assists. Eh also hit two 3-pointers, which emphasized how ridiculously unstoppable he is playing right now. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks shredded Boston’s interior defense again, outscoring the Celtics in the paint by 20 points, 66-44. Milwaukee’s bench also provided some energy and scoring, punching in 32 points to just seven by Boston’s relievers. With Antetokounmpo showing no signs of slowing down, and the Celtics not looking capable of containing the Greek Freak, the series could be over in five games.
The Bucks are 3-1 straight up (SU) and 3-1 ATS in their last four home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Milwaukee wins, 117-114.
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