Boston vs Milwaukee, Game 4 | NBA Betting Favorites & Analysis

Despite still being without All-Star guard Khris Middleton, the Milwaukee Bucks lead the Boston Celtics 2-1 in their Eastern Conference playoff series. The Bucks are short home favorites on the NBA odds for Game 4 on Monday.

How to Bet Celtics at Bucks NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Monday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Fiserv Forum
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: Bucks -1 (total 212)

Why Bet on Boston?

The Celtics lost Game 3 on Saturday, 103-101 in Milwaukee. Jayson Tatum said after the loss 103-101 loss to the Bucks that he’s been dealing with a lingering left wrist injury for about two months. Tatum appeared to aggravate the issue on a dunk during the first half of Saturday’s game when a Giannis Antetokounmpo foul sent the Celtics star to the floor. Tatum would remain in the game at that point, and he said that while healed, the wrist issue does flare up on occasion.

“That’s something I’ve been dealing with for probably like two months now. It wasn’t anything abnormal,” Tatum said. “When I fell on it, it bothered me. but nothing I haven’t been dealing with the last two months.” Tatum shot just 4-of-19 from the field on Saturday. Tatum averaged 25 points and 4.5 three-pointers in the first two games of the series but fell flat in Game 3.

Jaylen Brown finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. After scoring just 12 points in the series opener, Brown accounted for a total of 57 points on 19-of-34 shooting from the field in Games 2 and 3. Al Horford was great in the loss with 22 points and 16 rebounds. The double-double was Horford’s third straight in the postseason. He also became just the second player in NBA postseason history to hit those marks at age 35 or older, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. On top of that, it was his second 20-point, 15-rebound effort in seven games this postseason.

Derrick White came alive for the Celtics off the bench. He had 14 points to lead all bench scorers in Milwaukee, where he knocked down 3-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line in 21 minutes. In the three games he’s played at Fiserv Forum this season, White has averaged 16.7 points while shooting 47.4 percent from 3-point range. The only other road arena in which he averaged more points (minimum two games played) was Crypto.com Arena, where he averaged 16.8 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

“There were openings, and he took advantage of those,” Celtics head coach Ime Udoka reflected of White’s Game 3 performance. “They are not leaving Jayson and Jaylen’s bodies. It presents opportunities to get downhill and get to the basket which he did and got to the free-throw line. They are going to crowd the paint and those open shots are going to be there.”

Why Bet on Milwaukee?

Boston trailed by 13 points heading into the fourth quarter of Game 3 but rallied to take a 100-99 lead with 1:49 left in the game. Milwaukee answered with four straight points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday to pull back ahead 103-100 with 11.2 seconds left. The victory wasn’t secure until replays confirmed that Al Horford’s potential tying putback –- capping a wild sequence after Marcus Smart intentionally missed a free throw — came just after the buzzer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 16-of-30 from the field and 9-of-12 from the foul line for 42 points with 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and three blocks. The reigning NBA Finals MVP shot better from the foul line after going 11-of-20 in Games 1 and 2. With Khris Middleton (knee) still sidelined, Antetokounmpo will continue to shoulder much of the scoring load for the Bucks. There have now been 13 40-point games in Bucks playoff history, with Antetokounmpo owning six of them (second most: K. Abdul-Jabbar, 3). It was also the 29th 30-point game of Antetokounmpo’s postseason career, which is one game away from tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (30) for the most in franchise playoff history

Jrue Holiday had 25 points and seven rebounds. He’s now attempted 20 field goals or more in four of his last five playoff games because of no Middleton. Holiday is averaging 23.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game so far this series (averaged 16.4 ppg in First Round vs. Chicago).

The Bucks held the Celtics to just 36.8% shooting from the field, marking the second time this series, and the fifth time in eight games this postseason, that the Bucks have held their opponent to under 40% shooting. Milwaukee continues to hold its opponents to a playoff-low 96.9 points per game on a playoff-low 39.9% shooting this postseason.