Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks 5/7/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Matchup Preview (5/7/22)

The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are tied at 1-1, and now the series is heading back to Milwaukee! After an uncharacteristic and all-around bizarre Game One performance from the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee achieved its mission of splitting road games. Still, the Bucks have not played nearly as well as they would like to, shooting well-below their season averages from the field and from deep. In Game Two, Milwaukee got stomped, mainly because of a huge Jaylen Brown performance, a slow first quarter start, and miserable shooting from deep. It will take a few substantial shooting performances and stable, consistent defense from Milwaukee to stay in this series without Khris Middleton.

Meanwhile, Boston bounced back in a big way in Game Two after a disappointing Game One performance. In their last game, the Celtics asserted dominance by playing lockdown defense on Giannis Antetokounmpo and perimeter shooters. If the C’s can continue to hold the Bucks to a marginal three-point percentage as a team, they should be able to secure this series. Take a look below at my outlook for this game and the rest of the series. I cover my favorite popular bets for this matchup, as well!

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Betting Odds

This is a wonderful time to “buy low” on the Boston Celtics. After a disappointing and uncharacteristic Game One, the sportsbooks believe Boston can still “bleed.” I think the C’s will win in either five or six games, and this one should end in a Boston dub. The C’s are holding Giannis to a 39/17/55 shooting split through two games and the Bucks to less than 30% from deep as a team. Marcus Smart should be back for this game to complicate things more for Milwaukee. I’ll take the C’s Moneyline for Game Three.

After two incredibly low-scoring games, it would be easy to look at a 213 point total and want to punch the under as quickly as possible. However, I will be looking at the over for this matchup. I don’t think it is feasible for Giannis to continue shooting 39% from the field and the Bucks to struggle so much from behind the arc (3-for-18 in their last game.) This game should be more offensive-friendly for both teams, so I will take the over at 213.

How To Watch

Date: 5/7/22
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Arena: Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI
Channel: ABC

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Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Robert Williams III

Boston Celtics Analysis

This Celtics defense reminds me a lot of the Detroit Pistons from the early 2000s. The main difference between the two teams is that Boston has several prolific, three-level scorers, including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and plenty of capable complementary scorers. The potential return of Marcus Smart in Game Three should help immensely on both ends of the floor, too. The new DPOY has played fantastic basketball so far this postseason, averaging 15.2 points, 6.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. While he has not shot as well from the floor as he usually does, that should correct itself sooner versus later. As it stands right now, I would be shocked if Boston did not make the NBA Finals.

Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Wesley Matthews
SF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
PF: Bobby Portis
C: Brook Lopez

Milwaukee Bucks Analysis

Mission accomplished. Despite struggling on the offensive end, the Milwaukee Bucks were able to steal Game One convincingly on the road. Truthfully, Boston did not show up offensively, and Milwaukee took advantage. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a healthy triple-double, and the Bucks’ offense did just enough to get by the struggling C’s, despite shooting merely 41% from the field. Both teams shot poorly, but Boston’s 33/36/75 shooting split sealed its fate in Game One. Game Two was a completely different story. Boston looked like it had for most of the second half of the season, dominating the Bucks on both ends of the floor. The C’s got off to an unbelievably hot start in the first half and held them to just 3-for-18 from behind the arc. For this matchup, Milwaukee needs to replicate a defensive performance like Game One and go back to its roots: three-point shooting. It only shot 18 threes in Game Two.