Bucks vs. Celtics Game 2 NBA Playoffs Odds and Preview – May 3rd, 2022

By Carlos Chacon • May 2, 2022

The Boston Celtics looked like they were not ready for a jump in intensity in their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series as the C’s were largely dominated at home as 5.5-point favorites vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. Boston looks to even the series Tuesday night.

Nitrobetting is more than ready for the postseason. Find a full preview of the Bucks vs. Celtics game below. We present you with game details, team and player stats, the latest NBA betting odds, trends, and predictions–all of which help you lock in on the best picks.

Bucks vs. Celtics Game 2 Information

When: Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 7:30 PM ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: TNT
Radio: 620 WTMJ AM (Bucks) / 98.5 The Sports Hub (Celtics)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
NBA Betting Odds: Bucks (+4.5) / Celtics (-4.5)

Why Bet on the Milwaukee Bucks?

The Bucks took Game 1 101-89 despite playing without All-Star guard Khris Middleton, who probably misses all of this series after being hurt in Game 2 of the first round vs. Chicago. The Bucks have now won their last four games, with three of those wins coming on the road, and their last five playoff games against the Celtics. Sunday’s win also marked Milwaukee’s first Game 1 win on the road since the 2017 first round at Toronto.

Milwaukee held Boston to just 33.3% shooting in Game 1, marking the fourth time this postseason the Bucks have held their opponent under 40% shooting and the fourth time holding them under 100 points (in 6 playoff games). Milwaukee continues to hold its opponents to a playoff-low 94.2 points per game on a playoff-low 39.3 FG%.

The Celtics made things tough for Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 1 — holding him to 9-of-25 shooting with five turnovers — but ultimately, he was too much for Boston to contain. Antetokounmpo recorded his second career playoff triple-double, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. It was the third-worst shooting performance of his playoff career, but Antetokounmpo still managed to become the first player in franchise history with multiple career playoff triple-doubles.

His best play occurred during the fourth quarter when he threw down a dunk after tossing the ball off of the backboard to himself. So far this postseason, Antetokounmpo ranks 3rd in scoring (27.8 ppg), 2nd in rebounding (13.3 rpg), 4th in assists (7.2 apg) and T-6th in blocks (1.5 bpg).

Jrue Holiday finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. After surpassing the 20-point mark just once in the Bucks’ first-round series win over the Bulls (five games), Holiday matched that in Sunday’s Game 1 win. Holiday also notched a milestone, surpassing the 1,000-point mark for his playoff career.

Bobby Portis had 15 points and 11 rebounds. With Middleton still sidelined, Portis is serving as Milwaukee’s fifth starter, and he’s played well. He’s scored 15 points or more in four straight games, recording a double-double in each of those starts. Portis is just the fourth player in franchise history to have a double-double streak of four games or more during the playoffs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jack Sikma and Antetokounmpo.

Why Bet on the Boston Celtics?

After their sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, the Celtics were riding high on a wave of momentum. It came crashing to earth Sunday, as they were held to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and made just 10 two-point field goals. With a couple late baskets, Boston avoided becoming the team with the fewest number of 2-point makes in a playoff game in NBA history. That record remains with the Rockets, who went 9-for-37 in Game 6 of the West semis against the Spurs in 2017.

Jayson Tatum played 40 minutes in Sunday’s loss and had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. He shot 2-of-9 from inside of the arc, and as a team, the Celtics made just 10 of their 33 2-point attempts. Jaylen Brown had just 12 points with as many turnovers as defensive rebounds (seven) in 38 minutes.

Milwaukee scored 27 points off of Boston’s 18 turnovers, and also totaled 28 fast break points.

“They did a really good job getting into our guys, making sure that guys weren’t getting any easy looks and meeting our guys every time at the rim,” said Al Horford, who finished with a double-double of 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. “There’s a reason, obviously, why they were the champs last year: that level defensively that they have. So you have to give them credit. They definitely were the better team.”

Celtics coach Ime Udoka said the Bucks’ physicality was something that took Boston out of its sets early, but that it shouldn’t have caught the team off guard.

“We have to obviously play with a little bit better poise and you know, not get rushed at times,” Udoka said.

Bucks vs. Celtics Betting Trends

Bucks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as an underdog.
Bucks are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games playing on 1 days rest.
The total went under in 6 of Milwaukee’s last 6 games.
Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Celtics are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
The total went over in 12 of Boston’s last 17 games.

Bucks vs. Celtics Expert Betting Prediction

Celtics moneyline at -190

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.