The Milwaukee Bucks averted going down a 2-0 hole in the series against the Boston Celtics by getting a win in Game 2 before going on a trip to Beantown. Will the Bucks get their first taste of the series lead against Boston? Or will the Celtics dedicate one for John Havlicek? The sportsbook predicts a close one, favoring the Bucks by just 1.5-points. See the latest odds and prices for the NBA Playoffs series here.
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Betting Preview for Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics NBA Playoff Round 2 Game 3 on May 3, 2019
Where: TD Garden, Boston
When: Friday, May 3, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Milwaukee Bucks (-1.5) vs. Boston Celtics (+1.5) – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Milwaukee Bucks (60-22 Regular Season)
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks looked like they were headed into another disappointing conclusion in Game 2, but turned things around in a grand way in the second half against the Celtics to take a 123-102 victory on Tuesday. The trio of Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Eric Bledsoe showed out. Antetokounmpo had 29 points and had two 3-pointers to stammer the Celtics’ defense that didn’t really respect his outside shooting. Middleton and Bledsoe, meanwhile, had 28 and 21 points, respectively, which proved to be the difference in this game. Back in Game 1, Middleton and Bledsoe combined for only 22 points on 6-for-17shooting from the field. Now that the Bucks have gotten their moxie back following that embarrassing loss to Boston, playing the brand of basketball they used to dominated opponents in the regular season is something that’s both needed and expected in Boston.
Milwaukee is 4-0 straight up (SU) and 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last four road games, dating back to the regular season.
Betting on the Boston Celtics (49-33 Regular Season)
Someone should make a Netflix documentary about the disappearance of Kyrie Irving, who was a huge letdown in Game 2. After dropping 26 points on 12-for-21 shooting to go with 11 assists in Game 1’s upset win in Milwaukee, Irving played like a drunk uncle on Tuesday, scoring just nine points on a forgettable 4-for-18 shooting. Irving’s pathetic performance wasn’t just the only significant thing that weighed Boston down. The team’s defense and inability to keep up with the Bucks’ 3-point shooting spelled the Celtics’ crash in Game 2. In Game 1, Boston gave up 13 triples to the Bucks, but had 13 of its own. That was not the case in Game 2 in which the Bucks sank 20 3-pointers, while the Celtics went just 10-for-28 from deep. The Celtics need to close out better on Milwaukee’s shooters, and while it’s easier said than done, Boston can’t simply just let the Bucks from getting their rhythm from behind the arc. Milwaukee is at its most dangerous when Antetokounmpo is abusing a stretched out defense by the opponent.
Boston is 2-0 ATS in its last two home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Milwaukee wins, 115-110.
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