A trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals will be on the line when the Boston Celtics (3-3) go head-to-head against the Milwaukee Bucks (3-3) at TD Garden in game seven of the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 28, 2018, and will air on TNT.
Boston is a 4.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 195 points.
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics ATS Prediction
In game six, Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 31 points and the Bucks defeated the Celtics 97-86, covering as 4.5-point favorites. He also recorded 14 rebounds. The game finished with a total of 183 points, which was 18 points below the projected point total of 201 points. The Bucks’ 17.5 offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over the Celtics, who had a rate of 12.8.
Half-court execution will be critical when two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams clash. Boston ranks 23rd in possessions per game (97.9) and Milwaukee is 24th (97.8).
Milwaukee heads into the contest with records of 47-41 straight up (SU) and 37-46-5 against the spread (ATS). Games including the Bucks have a tendency to finish over the O/U total (56.8 percent).
Meanwhile, Boston is 58-30 SU and 52-32-4 ATS. Of the Celtics’ 88 games, 46 have finished over the total.
Jaylen Brown has averaged 21.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the last five games for Boston.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Celtics, ATS Winner – Bucks, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Milwaukee is 22-20-2 ATS with 26 overs, 17 unders and 1 push.
Boston is 23-17-4 ATS at home with 25 overs and 19 unders.
Milwaukee is 19-6 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Boston is 37-6.
When reaching the century mark, the Bucks are 40-22 and the Celtics are 44-14.
Milwaukee ranks seventh in points in the paint per game (47.3) while Boston ranks 29th (39.9).
The Celtics rank second in second chance points allowed per game (10.9) while the Bucks rank 24th (13.2).
Milwaukee ranks third in points off turnovers per game (17.9) while Boston ranks 24th (15.2).
The Bucks rank sixth in fast break points per game (14.7) while the Celtics rank 27th (9.5).
Boston ranks ninth in rebounds per game (44.4) while Milwaukee ranks last (39.8).
The Bucks rank third in steals per game (8.7) while the Celtics rank 22nd (7.3).
Milwaukee ranks fourth in blocks per game (5.5) while Boston ranks 19th (4.5).
The Celtics rank 10th in three pointers attempted per game (30.3) while the Bucks rank 25th (24.7).
Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (21.3) while Milwaukee ranks 16th (23.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Milwaukee is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Boston is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Bucks have outscored opponents by an average of 3.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Milwaukee has lost by an average of 0.1 points.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 98.4 points per game (5.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 102.0 points per game (1.4 above their season average).
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