Somehow, the depleted Boston Celtics clawed their way to a win in Game 1 against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Will the same happen in Game 2? Or will the Bucks level it all up with a win before heading back home for Game 3?
Register here to make your pick.
Betting Preview for the Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Round 1 Game 2 on April 15, 2018
Where: TD Garden
When: Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 8:00 PM EST
Line: Milwaukee Bucks (spread) vs Boston Celtics (spread) – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Betting on the Milwaukee Bucks (+2.5)
There simply was not enough help for Giannis Antetokounmpo outside of Khris Middleton, and that’s something the Bucks will have to solve moving forward. Antetokounmpo scored 35 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out seven assists in 45 minutes before fouling out of the game late in overtime, but his numbers failed to save Milwaukee from a disappointing 113-107 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 on Sunday. Khris Middleton had 31 points, but no other starter had scored in double digits. Eric Bledsoe only had nine, and that will have to improve, as the Bucks can’t just be overly dependent on Giannis, who went 11-for-21 from the field. Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points in the regular season. The Bucks must also cut down on their turnovers after shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly in Game 1 with 20 miscues as against Boston’s 15. Boston was +9 in points off turnovers.
Milwaukee is 5-5 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Boston Celtics (-2.5)
No Marcus Smart, no Kyrie Irving, no Gordon Hayward, no problem for the Celtics, who still found a way to take down Milwaukee on Sunday. Even without those aforementioned players, the Celtics still looked fine in the win over Milwaukee with Al Horford leading the team by scoring 24 points. He dissected the Bucks’ interior defense, as he went to the free throw line all game long, going 13-for-14 at the charity stripe. That said, the Celtics have to tighten their own interior defense with Milwaukee scoring 58 points in the paint in Game 1 as against Boston’s 44 markers in the shaded area. Terry Rozier, meanwhile, is getting more and more confident as the starting point guard of Boston. He had 23 points with four three-pointers on Sunday.
Boston is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction:
Milwaukee bounces back and evens the series with a 107-103 win over the Celtics to make things interesting.
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