NBA Playoff Picks -- Bucks-Raptors: Milwaukee Needs Some Answers at Home

  • In Charles Jay
  • Thu, May 23rd, 2019 3:28:55 am
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Milwaukee Bucks come back home as they try to go up 3-2 in the NBA Eastern Conference finals at the Fiserv Forum.


Now it is time for the Milwaukee Bucks to answer back, if they truly intend to be a championship team. Somebody is going to win two of the last three games of the NBA Eastern Conference finals, and the Toronto Raptors will have to win at least one of those games at the Fiserv Forum. Coming off two wins at home to even things up, they figure it might as well be them. Game 5 is slated for 8:35 PM ET, and while TNT is televising it, BetAnySports customers can place wagers in real-time as they take advantage of what is available through Live Betting Ultra.

The Bucks were a big disappointment in Game 4, as they seemed to have a big edge in terms of the fatigue factor, but were burned big-time in the battle of the benches. Toronto, which had its two biggest stars - Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry - nursing injuries, needed to get a big game from its reserve players, and that is indeed what happened. Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet combined to score 48 points, while at the same time shutting down key second unit players from Milwaukee, like Malcolm Brogdon and George Hill, who combined for just nine points. And that was really the huge difference in the ballgame.

But can something like that hold? That is the big question, because it is quite possible that Leonard, who has a leg injury and a lot of exhaustion carry-over from having to play 52 minutes in the double-OT win in Game 3, and Lowry, whose left thumb is bothering him a lot, will be well below 100%. But they've surprised is before. And the Raptors have shot better from three-point range than most people might have expected. Of course, almost anything would be better than the 27% they managed against the Bucks in the regular season.

Milwaukee Toronto free playHere are the NBA odds for Game 5:

Milwaukee Bucks -7 (-101)
Toronto Raptors +7 (-109)

Over 216 points (-103)
Under 216 points (-107)

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The Raptors looked to have made some progress in the area of offensive rebounding in Game 4, with ten of them, but they had gone into Tuesday's contest grabbing just 13.8% of all available caroms. Our sense is that Milwaukee is still going to have the overall advantage on the glass.

We can tell you that it would be unusual for the Bucks' bench players to some up empty again like they did, since they had been a source of energy all season long. But the listless effort was not a great sign.

Bad signs for the Raptors, frankly, may include the fact that the won by such a wide margin (120-102) with Norman Powell having a 30.1% Usage rating. The Bucks actually kept him from getting very good shots, as he was just 33% from the field. So they would probably invite him to try and force as many shots as he possibly can.

We're not getting too involved with the total; we were concerned that with the teams winded from having to play two overtimes, it wouldn't be offense that suffered but defense in Game 4, although Toronto provided the impetus to carry the game over the number.

But we are going to draw on Milwaukee's recuperative powers and hope that this time they'll have an effect. Prior to Game 4, we liked the fact that the Bucks were 19-4 ATS after a straight-up loss. Well, they failed that time, and now they have lost consecutive for only the second time this season. After losing by double digits, they have been a perfect 6-0 against the spread. Following this humiliation, they'll sprinkle in a little payback in the process of getting back to being themselves.

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