Giannis Antetokounmpo and the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks will look to close out Kyrie Irving and the visiting Boston Celtics when the two NBA Finals hopefuls square off in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Wednesday night. After taking a commanding 3-1 series lead by spanking Boston at home in Game 4, Milwaukee is one game away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. With the C’s on the ropes of a first round exit one year after reaching the conference finals, let’s find out if Irving and company can extend their season for at least one more game.

Celtics vs Bucks NBA Playoffs Game 5 Odds, Prediction & Pick

• When: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• TV: TNT
• Radio: Boston / Milwaukee
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• 2019 NBA Playoffs Odds: Milwaukee -9 / Total: 218

Why Bet On Boston?

Boston got smacked around in Game 4, losing to Milwaukee 113-101 as Kyrie Irving struggled for the third straight game by shooting 7 for 22 from the field. Boston also had no answer whatsoever for Antetokounmpo as he put up a game-high 39 points on 15 of 22 shooting while adding a game-high 16 rebounds. Even with their best player on the bench with foul trouble in the third quarter, Boston was no match for their conference rivals on Monday.

“It’s always hard to take out Giannis; let’s start there. But at the end of the day, we are conscious of trying to keep him fresh,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s hard to find the words (for) what he does for our team, both ends of the court. He’s special, but he’s very hungry. He wants more, and he’s playing that way.”

Despite their daunting task of coming back from a 3-1 deficit, the C’s say they are not going down without a fight.

“I know probably to the outside world we probably don’t stand much of a chance,” Celtics Center Al Horford, who scored 20. “We’re at a low point as a group, I guess that’s the reality. We’ll have to bring that fight to them on Wednesday.”

Team Statistics

• Average Score For: 111.60
• Field Goals: 46.29%
• Three Points: 36.51%
• Free Throws: 80.30%
• Rebounds: 44.84

• Average Score Against: 107.42
• Field Goals: 44.58%
• Three Points: 34.35%
• Free Throws: 75.81%
• Rebounds: 45.79

Why Bet On Milwaukee?

Milwaukee got a fantastic effort from Antetokounmpo, but their bench players contributed just as much in Game 4. George Hill scored 15 points, including nine in the third quarter while Pat Connaughton added nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Milwaukee.

“Yeah that was killer,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Their bench comes in, they’ve had no dropoff. Connaughton’s been excellent. George Hill’s been absolutely tremendous.”

Milwaukee has won four straight road playoff games while beating Boston by at least a dozen points in each of the last three games in this series after dropping the series opener. The Bucks have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals since the 2000-01 team of Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson fell to Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo in seven games. However, the Bucks and their young leader are apparently quite hungry.

“Good players, when they have an opportunity like this, they don’t waste it,” Antetokounmpo said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to do whatever it takes to help my team win.”

Team Statistics

• Average Score For: 118.02
• Field Goals: 47.53%
• Three Points: 35.31%
• Free Throws: 76.78%
• Rebounds: 49.90

• Average Score Against: 108.69
• Field Goals: 43.11%
• Three Points: 35.88%
• Free Throws: 73.94%
• Rebounds: 45.27

Celtics vs Bucks NBA Betting Trends

• Boston are 8-4 ATS in the last 12 games.
• Boston are 9-4 SU in the last 13 games.
• The total went UNDER in 8 of Boston’s last 12 games played in May.
• Milwaukee are 7-1 ATS in the last 8 games.
• Milwaukee are 7-1 SU in the last 8 games.
• The total went OVER in 11 of Milwaukee’s last 15 games.

Expert Analysis and Prediction for Celtics vs Bucks

I’m not going to waste a whole lot of time beating around the bush with my pick on this Game 5 matchup simply because I believe the Milwaukee Bucks are near locks to win and cover the chalk as 9-point favorites. The Bucks are playing at home and have a chance to close out the C’s, so you had best believe that Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum arena is going to be rocking.

More importantly, the Bucks clearly have the best player on the floor in the still-blossoming Giannis Antetokounmpo and really, they are simply the better team at both ends of the floor. Boston clearly has some issues to fix in the coming offseason, first and foremost, what to do with Kyrie Irving who is apparently set to bolt in free agency. I don’t think the C’s like playing with Irving very much and they sure as hell don’t look like the same team they were a year ago when Irving was mostly sidelined for the playoffs.

If you’re wondering whether Milwaukee can cover the chalk as a near, double-digit home favorite, then you should just think about the fact that the Bucks won Game 2 by 21 points before taking Games 3 and 4 by 13 and 12 points respectively.

The Celtics have gone an uninspiring 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600 and just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following an SU loss. On the flip side of the coin, the Bucks have gone 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win, a bankroll-boosting 22-7-1 ATS in their last 30 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points and 9-4-1 ATS in their last 14 home games against a team with a winning road record. This one’s a wrap. Milwaukee wins and covers the chalk!

2019 NBA Playoffs Pick: Milwaukee 117 Boston 102