Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics 5/15/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Matchup Preview (5/15/22)

This series has been electric; we were blessed with iconic performances from Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game Six! Jayson Tatum finished the game with 46 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 17-for-32 from the field. Tatum shot exceptionally well from behind the arc, too, finishing with seven three-pointers against tough Milwaukee wing defenders! For the Bucks, Giannis posted an equally impressive 44/20/6 line in 41 minutes. Giannis shot just shy of 50% from the floor and chipped in two three-pointers.

Game Seven is a clean slate and do-or-die for both teams. Milwaukee has to shoot much better from deep if it wants to compete with Boston in this matchup. The Bucks have been struggling all series long, shooting 31% from behind the arc as a team. Meanwhile, Boston has done a great job on the defensive end of the floor recently; however, it has been less than stellar on the glass. The Celtics have a great chance of taking this series and advancing if they can find a way to outrebound Milwaukee. Check out my prediction and which bets I am considering for this game below!

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds

Milwaukee has proven that it can win in Boston, despite a tough crowd, environment, and opponent! The Bucks have already stolen two road games, and they will undoubtedly keep this matchup close the whole way. Anything can happen in Game Seven!

I’m expecting another massive output from Giannis here; he should finish with 40+ points for the fourth time in his past five games. Antetokounmpo received very little help from his team in Game Six as the rest of the Bucks shot a combined 37.9% from the field and 19.2% from deep. Additionally, Jayson Tatum pummeled the Bucks with just shy of 50 points on efficient shooting! With all of those things considered, Milwaukee still only lost by 13 points. The likelihood of Tatum having another game like this and the C’s shooting roughly 40+% from deep is pretty slim. I’m going to take Milwaukee against the spread on the road if Robert Williams is ruled out because it has shown that it can play well in TD Garden. When Williams is out, the rebounding margin is also heavily in the Bucks’ favor.

Despite two tremendous performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum, the point total failed to reach this number (206.5) in Game Six. However, in the previous two games, the point total flew above this number by double-digits. This series has been challenging to predict the point total, so I will be staying off it. I could see a better shooting performance from Milwaukee, but it still could be a defensive-centric game. I will stay off it here unless it drops a few points.

How To Watch

Date: 5/15/22
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Arena: TD Garden – Boston, MA
Channel: ABC

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Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Wesley Matthews
SF: Grayson Allen
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Brook Lopez

Milwaukee Bucks Analysis

For such a strong shooting team, Milwaukee has struggled in this series. The Bucks have recently been hovering between fifth and eighth in the NBA in 3P% (three-point percentage) and eFG% (effective field goal percentage.) The likely reason for their shooting deficiencies is due to Boston’s undeniably elite perimeter defense. The Celtics are among the best perimeter defensive teams in the NBA, allowing the fourth-lowest 3P% to opponents and ranking first in opponent eFG%. Still, Milwaukee has had open looks and has not capitalized on them. If the Bucks can combine strong three-point shooting with their terrific rebounding prowess, they will move to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

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

Boston Celtics Analysis

There is some potentially promising news for Boston heading into Game Seven: Robert Williams has been upgraded to questionable ahead of the Sunday matchup. Williams has been the interior anchor and rim protector for the C’s this season, and his potential return would be massive. Since Williams’ injury, Boston has gotten outrebounded by Milwaukee by an average of ten rebounds per game. In the first three games of the series, the rebounding margin was much tighter. Boston could wrap this series up and move on if Williams can give it a go. If he cannot play, Boston has to hit the glass harder and continue to limit Milwaukee’s role players to marginal shooting percentages.