Celtics vs. Bucks Game 3: Prediction, Time, Betting Odds For 2022 Playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks host the Boston Celtics Saturday in Game 3 of their second-round series. The defending champions stole home-court advantage by splitting the first two contests on the road, but the higher-seeded Celtics still have slightly better odds to make a deep 2022 playoff run.

The Bucks are favored by 2.5 points in Game 3 at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Celtics are the favorites to win the series with -138 odds. Milwaukee has +116 odds to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game 3 starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Milwaukee surprised Boston with a 101-89 victory in the series opener. Boston was dominant in a 109-86 Game 2 win, leading by double digits for the final three quarters. The Celtics bounced back despite the absence of Marcus Smart, who didn’t play because of a quad contusion.

With three days off in between Game 2 and Game 3, Smart is likely to return for Saturday’s contest. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in Boston’s first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets.

No matter who’s been on the court this series, Boston’s defense has been outstanding. It’s a continuation of what the Celtics did in the first round and the regular season, during which the Celtics allowed a league-low 106.2 points per 100 possessions.

Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 26.0 points on 38.4% shooting in Boston. The reigning NBA Finals MVP shot 57.8% from the field in the first round and 55.3% in the regular season.

Antetokounmpo is getting a taste of what Kevin Durant received in arguably the worst playoff series of his career. In four straight losses against the Celtics, Durant shot below 40% from the field.

The Bucks were able to steal Game 1 because of how Antetokounmpo affected the game when he wasn’t scoring. In addition to his stellar defense, Antetokounmpo added 13 rebounds and 12 assists.

Antetokounmpo’s teammates went 12-32 from three-point range in Game 1. In Game 2, they only made a pair of three-pointers.

It seemed like Boston couldn’t miss from behind the arc in Game 2, shooting 20-43. The Celtics have gotten a ton of open looks from three-point range, even in the Game 1 loss. Milwaukee appears content to let Boston take its chances with outside shots, preventing any easy looks at the rim.

That strategy has paid dividends for the Bucks this postseason. Milwaukee ranks ahead of Boston with an NBA-best 96.8 defensive rating in the playoffs. The Celtics’ offense slowed down in the second half of Game 2, totaling 44 points in the third and fourth quarter.

Khris Middleton is still out with an MCL tear, giving Boston more weapons than Milwaukee on offense. Jayson Tatum always seems to find a way to approach 30 points. Jaylen Brown could be an important catalyst in Game 3. Brown scored 12 points on 13 shots in Game 1 before putting up a 17-point first quarter in Game 2.

With Smart back on the court, Jrue Holiday has less of a chance to post big numbers. Antetokounmpo can potentially carry the Bucks to a victory, but he can only do so much if the Celtics are hitting their open shots.

Game 3 Prediction: Celtics over Bucks, 103-100