Free Pick from FarleyBets – Bucks at Celtics, Game 5

I don’t care what anyone says – this line is wrong. Bookmakers have the Celtics as two-possession favorites after a gutsy performance from Al Horford, a surge by Tatum in the 4th quarter, and an excellent all-around team effort on defense in game 4. While all that is rather legit, not so fast my friends, not so fast.

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I realize this is in Boston, but this is also the Milwaukee Bucks, the returning champions, and a number of things went awry that we won’t count on in game 5. The Bucks shot 41.5% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc – that won’t happen again. Jrue Holiday had a horrendous shooting game, support anchors like Portis and Allen did next to nothing, and Giannis was visibly frustrated and exhausted after carrying his team to a level even he’s not used to. Although we have to give some credit to the Boston defense, the Celtics were still outplayed for the majority of Monday’s contest. This is a HUGE spot and both teams will experience surges of pressure throughout tonight’s game. Sometimes (often, actually), it’s the intangible aspects of a game that make the difference, and we think the battle-tested Bucks are up to the task.

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I expect a well-coached Bucks unit to try and mix it up and free up Giannis more than he has been, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they win. If I were to “bottom line” this article in one sentence — the returning champs, even without Middleton, do not deserve to be this much of a dog, even on the road. Giannis is the most dominant player on earth, they still have one of the deepest rosters in the association, and Mike Budenholzer doesn’t get enough credit for how he coaches his players up after a loss. Take the dog.

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