Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Free Prediction

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The Milwaukee Bucks, 4-point underdogs, will travel to TD Garden to square off against the Boston Celtics to open the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 201.5 points and it will air on TNT at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 15, 2018.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics ATS Odds

The Bucks evened the season series at two with a 106-102 victory in their most recent game. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Milwaukee’s effective field goal percentage was its largest strength over Boston. The Bucks had a rate of 0.576 while the Celtics posted a mark of 0.512. Milwaukee was unable to cover as a 5-point favorite and the two teams combined to put up 208 points, which was just over the projected point total of 203.

Half-court execution will be critical when two of the leagues slowest-paced teams face off. Boston currently ranks 23rd in possessions per game (98.1) and Milwaukee is 24th (98.0).

Of the Bucks 82 games, 46 have finished over the total. Milwaukee comes into the contest with records of 44-38 straight up (SU) and 35-42-5 against the spread (ATS).

Of the Celtics 82 games, 42 have finished over the O/U total. Further, Boston is 55-27 SU and 48-30-4 ATS.

The Bucks Jabari Parker has been playing well over his last five games, averaging 18.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Meanwhile, Greg Monroe has averaged 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals during that same time frame for the Celtics.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Pick

Pick: SU Winner – Celtics, ATS Winner – Bucks, O/U – Over

Betting Notes:

  • The Celtics rank fourth in assists allowed per game (21.3) while the Bucks rank 18th (23.6).
  • Milwaukee ranks seventh in points in the paint per game (47.4) while Boston ranks 29th (39.8).
  • The Bucks rank second in steals per game (8.8) while the Celtics rank 22nd (7.4).
  • Milwaukee ranks sixth in fast break points per game (14.6) while Boston ranks 26th (9.5).
  • Boston ranks fourth in second chance points allowed per game (11.2) while Milwaukee ranks 19th (13.1).
  • The Celtics rank eighth in rebounds per game (44.5) while the Bucks rank last (39.8).
  • The Celtics rank 10th in three pointers attempted per game (30.4) while the Bucks rank 25th (24.7).
  • Milwaukee ranks fifth in blocks per game (5.4) while Boston ranks 18th (4.6).
  • Milwaukee ranks third in points off turnovers per game (18.3) while Boston ranks 24th (15.2).
  • Boston is 36-5 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Milwaukee is 17-5.
  • When scoring more than 100 points, the Celtics are 42-13 and the Bucks are 38-20.
  • Milwaukee is 22-17-2 ATS on the road, while Boston is 20-17-4 ATS at home.
  • Of the Bucks 41 road games, they have 24 overs, 16 unders and 1 push.
  • The Celtics have 23 overs and 18 unders in 41 home games.

Betting Trends:

  • In their last five games, Milwaukee and Boston have both had 4 overs and 1 under.
  • The Celtics are 1-3-1 ATS over their last five games, while the Bucks are 2-3.
  • During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 101.2 points per game (2.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 104.4 points per game (4.0 above their season average).
  • The Bucks average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 2.0, up from 0.3 for the season.