The No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks (3-2) try to advance to the conference finals when they host the no. 2 seed Boston Celtics (2-3) for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Tip-off at the Fiserv Forum is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we look at the Celtics vs. Bucks odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Milwaukee rallied from a 9-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter of Game 5 to stun the Celtics with a 110-107 victory in Boston.
Bucks’ all-world defensive PG Jrue Holiday made 2 phenomenal defensive plays in the final minute vs. Celtics PG Marcus Smart to swing the tide of Game 5.
Bucks’ 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had another legacy game, scoring a game-high 40 points on 59.3% shooting with a game-high 11 rebounds.
These teams are tied 2-2-1 against the spread (ATS) in this series and the total is 2-3 Over/Under (O/U).
Also see: Bet Slippin’ Podcast: NBA May 13-14 playoff breakdown
Celtics at Bucks odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:46 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Celtics +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Bucks -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Celtics +1.5 (-112) | Bucks -1.5 (-108)
- Over/Under: 211.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
Celtics at Bucks key injuries
Celtics
- PF Robert Williams III (knee) questionable
Bucks
- SF Khris Middleton (knee) out
Celtics at Bucks picks and predictions
Prediction
Bucks 107, Celtics 101
Money line
TAKE the BUCKS (-120) because the Celtics (+100) haven’t been able to stop Giannis yet in this series and Milwaukee’s role players will step up and hit big shots at home.
At the end of the day, Giannis can put the Bucks on his back and all they need to advance is a couple of 3-pointers out of a PF Bobby Portis, SG Pat Connaughton or SG Grayson Allen.
Boston’s lack of a floor general will be the reason it loses this series. Smart has lapses in basketball IQ and tries to do too much at times, which is something Holiday and Milwaukee’s defense can exploit.
We’ve seen the Celtics lose 2 games in this series with the ball in Smart’s hands at the end of regulation. Boston was 26th in clutch net rating during the regular season at minus-9.5. “Clutch” is defined by games within a 5-point margin inside of five minutes to play.
On the other hand, Milwaukee was 2nd in clutch net rating at plus-15.9 in the regular season and has a plus-4.7 net rating in the clutch for this series.
Finally, the Bucks are outperforming the Celtics in ball security and rebounding and those are the areas that gain possessions for teams. Shooting and free-throw attempt rates come and go, but Milwaukee should score more points if it can continue to win the battle for possessions.
BET the BUCKS (-120) to eliminate the Celtics (+100).
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Against the spread
LEAN to the BUCKS -1.5 (-108) because it should cash, but Milwaukee’s ML is only 15 cents on the dollar more expensive so why fuss with a spread?
Over/Under
LEAN UNDER 211.5 (-115) because that appears to be the sharp side since the Over 211.5 (-107) is cheaper. Also, the defensive effort will be maxed out and the pace will probably be slower since this is an elimination game.
But, there’s slight reverse line movement headed south of the total because most of the handle is on the Under (according to Pregame.com and VegasInsider.com) but the Celtics-Bucks total has been lowered from a 212-point opener.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism