Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Betting Preview/Prop Picks

The Milwaukee Bucks find themselves up 1-0 at the start of this series. The physicality of the Bucks proved to be too much for the Celtics in Game 1. Milwaukee will likely go with the same game plan tonight since Boston had so much trouble with it.

George Hill is still out for the Bucks, along with Khris Middleton. Can the Bucks overcome the injuries and win another road game?

The Boston Celtics find themselves in a precarious position. They're down 0-1 in this series, and if they lose tonight, they could be facing elimination on the road. They desperately need to win this game to carry some momentum into Milwaukee.

Although surprising, they still come in as the favorites to win tonight's game. Can they cover the 4.5-point spread and win the game?

Milwaukee Bucks: Physicality will win them this series

After scoring just 101 points in the first game and still winning, the Bucks have found their edge. They know that the Celtics are a much smaller and less physical team.

Because of this, they can use their bodies to dominate the interior and beat the Celtics. One player, in particular, made easy work of the Celtics' defense, Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Giannis backed down Jayson Tatum multiple times, even forcing him to fall over. By using his physical stature, he forced the Celtics to put a worse, but heavier defender on him. From there, he dominated the mid-range game and put up 24 points.

Perhaps even more impressive was Jrue Holiday leading the team with 25 points. Bobby Portis also got in on the action as well.

Boston Celtics: How can they bounce back in Game 2

For starters, this game is vital to their success going forward. After tonight, the Celtics will head to Milwaukee, and the Bucks will be at home for two games.

Focusing on perimeter shooting will likely be the Celtics' best bet here. However, they'll still need to find an answer to play better defense in the paint. They can't be afraid to get physical with the Bucks tonight.

Now that they've seen what they're up against, we expect a better showing from Boston. Marcus Smart should play better defense, and Tatum should put up more points.

Still, this needs to be a team effort on offense and defense. If the Bucks want a physical match, the Celtics will have to hold their ground. Either that or find ways to score more frequently on offense.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Pick

The Bucks had a great start to the series but were still limited to 101 points. If the Celtics' offense can get back to their normal average of 111.84 points per game, they should win.

Look for Boston to focus much more on the perimeter tonight in an effort to score more points. We also expect to see much better defense in the paint from Boston today. 

When betting on the total, we're actually going to take the over in this game. Each of these teams can have impressive offenses, and we expect to see this tonight. With the total set at a low 216, we'd rather take the over than the under.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Boston Celtics -4.5, OVER

Prop Picks

Boston (-120) OVER 109.5 Points

Boston is averaging 111.8 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 12 in the league. That average increased to 118.6 points per game in the Celtics’ last five wins. Scores have gone OVER in 16 of Boston’s last 23 home games versus Milwaukee.

With Dunkel predicting a Boston victory by the score of 113-106, take the Celtics (-120) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 109.5 points against the Bucks.

Jayson Tatum (-120) OVER 28.5 Points

Tatum averaged 26.9 points per game during the regular season, which ranked No. 1 on the Celtics and No. 7 in the league. That average increased to 30.4 points per game after the All-Star break and 31.3 points per game in three contests versus Milwaukee.

With Dunkel predicting a Celtics win while going OVER their team point total, take Tatum (-120) to finish OVER his Vegas point total of 28.5 points against the Bucks.

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