Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Game 3 Picks & Predictions 5/3/2019

Friday, May 3, 2019

TD Garden

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Milwaukee Bucks go to TD Garden on Friday where they'll meet Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their series. The Bucks tied the series at 1-1 with a 123-102 win on Tuesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 29 points, 9 boards, and 4 assists to lead Milwaukee after being held in check in Game 1. Boston opens as 1.5-point favorites. The total is 220. The Bucks (60-22, 1st in the Central Division) cover 62% of the time, going 52-32-4 for the year. The Celtics (49-33, 3rd in the Atlantic Division) have an ATS record of 43-43-2, so they cover 50% of the time. As the favorite, Boston is covering the spread 49% of the time, while Milwaukee has covered 70% of the time as an underdog for the year. The Celtics have been ok for point spread wagerers at home, going 22-21-0 against the spread.

Valuable Milwaukee Bucks Betting Trends

The Milwaukee Bucks are 52-33-3 against the spread

The Milwaukee Bucks are 45-43-0 against the over/under

Important Boston Celtics Betting Trends

The Boston Celtics are 43-43-2 against the spread

The Boston Celtics are 48-38-0 against the over/under

Key Milwaukee Bucks Injuries

03/27/19 G Donte DiVincenzo Foot is out for season
03/23/19 C Pau Gasol Ankle is out indefinitely
03/16/19 G Malcolm Brogdon Heel is out indefinitely

Key Boston Celtics Injuries

04/10/19 PG Marcus Smart Oblique is out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

Giannis Antetokounmpo comes into this contest averaging 27.7 points per game while playing 32.8 minutes per night this season. He pulls down 12.5 rebounds per game and dishes out 5.9 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 58% while his free throw percentage currently sits at 73%. Khris Middleton averages 18.3 points per game in 31.1 minutes per contest this season. He averages 4.3 assists per contest and 6.0 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 44% for the year while his free throw percentage is 84%.

Player Spotlight

Kyrie Irving averages 23.8 points per game while playing 33.0 minutes per contest this year. He grabs 5.0 rebounds per game and has 6.9 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 49% and his free throw percentage is at 87%. Jayson Tatum averages 15.7 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 31.1 minutes per contest. He also averages 6.0 rebounds per contest and 2.1 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is 86%.

Useful Team Statistics

Milwaukee averages 118.1 points per contest this season, which ranks them 1st in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 8.9 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team, which has them ranked 3rd. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 15th in the league. They average 49.7 rebounds per game and 26.0 assists per game, which ranks them 1st and 7th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 18th with 13.9 per game. The Bucks allow 109.3 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 11th in the league. They also allow a 43% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc, ranking them 1st and 22nd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 45.3 rebounds a game which ranks 15th and they give up 24.8 assists per contest, which puts them in 19th place in the league. They force 13.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 10th in the league.

Useful Team Statistics

Boston is 14th in the league with 112.4 points per game this year. They are 14th in the league in shooting at 47%, while their average scoring margin is 4.4. They shoot 37% from 3-point range, which is good for 7th in the NBA. They are 22nd in the league in rebounding with 44.5 boards per game, and 5th in assists per contest with 26.3. The Celtics are 28th in turnovers per game with 12.8. The Celtics surrender 108.0 points per contest, which ranks them 8th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 45% shooting percentage and a 34% average from 3-point range, ranking them 4th and 6th in those defensive statistics. They rank 8th with 23.7 assists allowed per contest and 22nd with 45.9 rebounds surrendered per game. The Celtics are 24th in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 15.1 per game.

Advanced Statistics

The Bucks are 4th in the NBA in offensive rating with 113.8, and their defensive rating of 105.2 is ranked 1st. In terms of pace they are 2nd in the league with 103.3 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 55% is 2nd. As a team they are 2nd in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 58% and they shoot 3-pointers on 42% of their shots, ranking 3rd in the league. Milwaukee is 21st in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12 times per 100 possessions while forcing 11.5 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 50%, which is 30th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

Boston is 26th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.5 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.4 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 51%, which is 22nd in the league. The Celtics are 10th in the NBA in offensive rating with 112.2, and their defensive rating of 107.8 is ranked 7th. In terms of pace they are 16th in the league with 99.6 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 53% is 6th. As a team they are 10th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3-pointers on 38% of their shots, ranking 9th in the league.

Who will win tonight's Bucks/Celtics NBA game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take Boston -1.5

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