The Boston Celtics (27-12) go to the Cream City to play the Milwaukee Bucks (36-6) in the Fiserv Forum for an 8 p.m. ET tip off Thursday. We analyze Celtics-Bucks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Celtics at Bucks: Key injuries
CELTICS
- SG Jaylen Brown (thumb) questionable
- SF Jayson Tatum (knee) questionable
- C Robert Williams III (hip) out
BUCKS
- SG Wesley Matthews (finger) probable
- SG Donte DiVincenzo (finger) probable
Celtics at Bucks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Thursday at 2:25 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Bucks 115, Celtics 101
Moneyline (ML)
The Bucks have been steamrolling teams recently (and all season really); they are 9-1 in their last 10, including three straight wins of 20-plus points. Milwaukee might have revenge on its mind because the Celtics overcame a 19-point first half deficit to beat the Bucks, 116-105, in their first meeting on Oct. 30. The Bucks had won three of the previous four meetings and covered the spread all four times.
It’s hard to find a bad trend/stat for the 2019-20 Milwaukee Bucks, or even a bad game, so I expect Giannis Antetokounmpo and company to even up the season series with the Celtics. PASS on both moneylines though because the Celtics aren’t winning and the Bucks -500 is a terrible price.
New to sports betting? You would have to bet $500 on the Bucks just to win $100 … and then pray an upset doesn’t happen.
Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Again, tossing out the first meeting of the season, the Bucks covered the previous four games against the Celtics. Boston is only 3-5-1 when having a rest disadvantage versus their opponent. Also, the Bucks are 9-3 ATS when laying 7.5-9.5. For sure, monitor the injury report for this one (I’d even recommend taking the number now before it goes up); Tatum missed Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons and Brown sprained his thumb in that game. If both those players are out, the brunt of the defensive responsibility will fall on Marcus Smart and the Bucks’ top-ranked scoring offense should have a much easier time.
Plus the juiced up line is what LEANS me to BUCKS -9.5 (-115) in this game. Before writing this I was thinking the Celtics +9.5 was too many points to pass up but seeing the Celtics-Bucks recent history and BetMGM making the Bucks -9.5 more expensive, I think it’s best to go with the house in this game.
Over/Under (O/U)
TAKE UNDER 223.5 (+105) because the trends say so. The Under is 5-2 in the last seven Celtics-Bucks games, including three straight Unders, plus the Under is 8-2 in Celtics last 10 games playing on 0 days’ rest. The combined Celtics-Bucks over/under record is 38-42-1. And while both teams excel offensively, they each also ranked in top-4 in defensive rating with the Celtics being fourth and Bucks being first, respectively.
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