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Jeremy Perry
Celtics vs. Bucks: Game 4 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
Down 0-2 in their first-round series, the Milwaukee Bucks responded with their best game of the playoffs so far in a 116-92 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3. Now they will look to build off that performance with a chance to even the series in Game 4 on Sunday.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Boston was actually one of the most profitable road teams in the NBA to bet on this season with a 28-14 record against the spread in the regular season. The Celtics have now lost four straight games on the road. Meanwhile, Milwaukee was just 14-26-2 against the spread at home this season but were 25-16 SU at home compared to 19-22 on the road. They have won four of their last five at home.
The Celtics are 7-1 ATS in their last eight following a loss and 5-1-1 ATS after a loss of 10 or more. We’ll see if they can bounce back in this spot.
Boston Celtics
Boston had no answer for Milwaukee’s defense in Game 3. The Celtics fell behind 23 points at the half and couldn’t get any closer than 14 points the rest of the game. There is no doubt that Boston will need a better start on the road in Game 4 and a better job of managing things. This is a young team that needs to get their confidence early.
That will mean they need to score more than the 12 points they scored in the first quarter in Game 3. Al Horford has been Boston’s best player in this series. However, with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward sidelined, it’s clear that the Celtics need more players to step up at both ends of the floor. That happened in Games 1 and 2 but not so much in Game 3. Jayson Tatum had 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting in Game 3 while Greg Monroe scored 15 but on 4-of-12 shooting from the field. Boston will need to be more efficient and cut down on its turnovers if its going to bounce back and take a 3-1 series lead with a win in Game 4.
Milwaukee Bucks
Khris Middleton led the way for Milwaukee with 23 points in Game 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points with six assists and five rebounds. The Bucks shot 57% from the field for the second straight game. The difference this time around was the turnovers. After coughing up 35 in the first two games, they had just nine in Game 3. On the flip side, Milwaukee did an excellent job generating offense with their defense by forcing 16 turnovers.
One area where the Bucks will need to be better is on the glass after they were outrebounded 45-37, including 17-7 on the offensive glass. Milwaukee leaned heavily on Thon Maker and while he was extremely efficient on offense, he will need to do a better job of protecting the rim.
