Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors: Game 5 Prediction, Betting Odds, TV Channel

The Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks have traded victories in the first-round of the 2017 NBA playoffs, splitting the first four contests. Both teams are hoping to take a permanent series lead when they face off in Game 5 Monday night.

Game 5 is the first of three playoff games on Monday’s schedule, and it will start at 7 p.m. EDT. NBA TV will have the broadcast.

Milwaukee has had two chances to take a commanding series lead, but Toronto has picked up a key victory on both occasions. A week after winning Game 2 and avoiding a sweep of their first two home games, the Raptors won Game 4 to tie the series up at 2-2.

Saturday’s Game 4 came in the wake of maybe the most lopsided contest of the entire postseason. The Bucks defeated the Raptors 104-77 in Game 3, though the final score didn’t even convey just how poorly Toronto played. Toronto was held to just 30 points in the first half, and they were down by at least 20 points for the entirety of the final three quarters.

Not surprisingly, the play of the stars in this series have largely dictated the outcomes of the four games. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 14 points and totaled seven turnovers in Milwaukee’s Game 4 loss, while DeMar DeRozan led all players with 33 points. In Game 3, DeRozan failed to hit even one field goal, scoring in single-digits for the first time all year as the Raptors were soundly defeated.

The case has been especially true in regard to Kyle Lowry, dating back to last year. Arguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, Lowry has been extremely inconsistent in the playoffs. He’s averaging 20 points on 48.3 percent shooting in Toronto’s two wins against Milwaukee, but just 8.5 points on 28.6 percent shooting in the team’s two losses.

A year ago, Lowry averaged 23 points per game in Toronto’s 10 postseason wins. Prior to scoring 35 points when the team was eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, Lowry put up just 14.1 points per game in the Raptors’ nine playoff losses.

With the way this series has gone, taking Milwaukee is probably the smart pick for Game 5. The betting line has Toronto favored by six points (over/under 192), via OddsShark, but the Raptors haven’t proven to be the better team in the postseason.

Most importantly, the Bucks have the best player in the series. LeBron James in the only Eastern Conference player that performed better than Antetokounmpo in the regular season, and he’s been a force both offensively and defensively against the Raptors, Game 4 notwithstanding.

If Antetokounmpo plays the way he has for most of the series, the Bucks have a great chance to steal another road victory.

Prediction: Milwaukee over Toronto, 95-93