NBA Playoff Odds -- Tired Bucks and Raptors Do Battle in Game 4

  • In Charles Jay
  • Tue, May 21st, 2019 11:12:05 am
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Toronto Raptors will try to even up the NBA Eastern Conference finals as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.


Nobody would blame either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Toronto Raptors if they just wanted to get another extra day of sleep. After all, they battled hard in a double-overtime affair on Sunday night before the Raptors emerged with a victory. But they have to get out there and play, and the Raptors have a chance to draw even at two games apiece in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

The action gets underway at 8:35 PM ET at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. And while TNT televises it, BetAnySports customers can place wagers on it in progress, using the software propelled through Live Betting Ultra.

It was a desperate situation for the Raptors in Game 3, and they were able to power through, and Kawhi Leonard was right there at the forefront, scoring 36 points. After playing 52 minutes, however, it might be a struggle to get that kind of output once more. Then again, he is probably benefiting from having been rested strategically during the season. There is indeed a carry-over of sorts, and that is something we're going to get to in a moment.

The huge rap on Toronto was that it wasn't getting anything offensively aside from Leonard and Kyle Lowry, and that changed for them on Sunday, as Pascal Siakam had 25 points. They also got 19 points from Norman Powell off the bench.

But now the Raptors' depth is going to be tested, and there is much reason to believe the Bucks have an edge in that department. They have also had an edge on the glass, and maybe that's not a big surprise.

In the NBA playoff odds posted on this game, the Bucks are favored on the road, and keep in mind that these numbers include reduced juice, which lets you wager at BetAnySports without having to lay the standard -110, which makes it the best deal in the online sportsbook world:

Milwaukee Bucks -2.5 (-109)
Toronto Raptors+2.5 (-101)

Over 216.5 points (-105)
Under 216.5 points (-105)

As far as the depth is concerned, we'd have to give the edge to the Bucks, not just because they have Pat Connaughton, who is a pretty nifty rebounder, and George Hill, who has been a point guard for championship-level teams, but because if the X-factor in Malcolm Brogdon, who is capable of getting the job done at both ends of the floor, as a very accurate shooter (from short and long range) and a defender. He and Hill combined to score 44 points in Game 3. In a game in which minutes from the second unit people are going to be required, Milwaukee is likely to get most of the quality form the bench.

They shoot better from three-point range, in all profitability, than the 32% they managed on Sunday, and of course, that's a very important thing for them, as they rely on this kind of offense. if you look at what they have done on defense, it has been pretty consistent with what they had done in previous playoff series. Let's put it in perspective - Milwaukee's defensive rating for the series is 99.4. Coming into this Eastern Conference finals series, it was 98.2, which was better than any other team in the post-season team. And those figures are both well below the league-leading Defensive Rating the Bucks registered. So they are absolutely not collapsing on that end.

And Milwaukee has ensured all this by the way they have controlled the glass. The Raptors came into this series with a 48% rebounding rate, and that has been reduced to 44.5% against the Bucks here. And on the offensive boards, Toronto has pulled down just 13.8% of its opportunities, which means that they have not received second chances to score, and that makes things more difficult.

The nature of Milwaukee's defensive scheme makes it hard for opponents to get to the offensive glass as it is, because they trend to collapse into the lane, as if to take away the middle. So unless this part of the fundamental matchup turns around, it is hard to support Toronto.

On this end, we believe in the idea that gathering rest has its cumulative effect. And there was quite a bit of difference between the strain with which these teams won their previous series. The Raptors have not had time to step back and catch a breath, and that doesn't help them here. Considering that the Bucks have covered a sizzling 19 out of 23 after suffering an outright loss, we feel we have some very good reasons to lay the points here.

Get the best deal you can find anywhere at an online sportsbook when you access reduced juice at BetAnySports, as you lay prices as low as -101 on hoops. That brings you closer to profit a lot quicker........... Also remember that real-time wagering is available during the game through Live Betting Ultra........ Open up an account today, using your Visa card, person-to-person transfers (like Western Union or MoneyGram) or the virtual currency of Bitcoin, which is fast and easy and NEVER incurs a transaction fee!

(The preceding information has been furnished for news matter only)


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