The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are two teams that could very well clash in the Eastern Conference Finals down the road, so it’s a real pleasure that we get to see them battle so early in the NBA season.
Before hitting you with picks and predictions for this game, there are some things we’ll want to catch you up on before you dive into your NBA betting.
First, you’ll want to know that the Bucks brought in Jrue Holiday, a two-way stud, to play the point guard position, while also completely replacing last year’s bench.
Meanwhile, the Celtics had a relatively quiet offseason, but they will be without Kemba Walker for quite a while. Fortunately, Boston brought in Jeff Teague, who should be a very reliable stopgap. Still, there should be a feeling-out process for both of these teams early in the year.
One thing that’s very exciting is that after a long time watching these teams play on neutral courts, we will have teams returning to their home arenas this year. This one will be played at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, and it’ll tip at 7:30 p.m. ET. Let’s start things off with a bang!
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Betting Preview
Key Injuries
Bucks: D.J. Augustin G (Questionable).
Celtics: Payton Pritchard G (Questionable), Romeo Langford F (Out), Kemba Walker G (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Bucks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against the Celtics. Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Celtics.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
While this Milwaukee team is a lot different than the one we saw last year, it’s never a bad thing to upgrade significantly at a crucial position. Last year, Holiday was a much better version of Eric Bledsoe, which is who Holiday is replacing in the Bucks starting lineup.
According to ESPN’s RAPTOR player ratings, Holiday was the eighth-best guard in basketball last season—and Bledsoe was 21st. That’s a pretty big difference, especially for a Milwaukee team that was already historically good during the regular season. Considering Walker is out for the Celtics, having Holiday handling the ball should be a huge difference in a game like this: Teague is a good offensive player but he’ll struggle to defend Holiday, who has a massive advantage in size and an uncanny ability to get to the rim.
One of Boston’s nightly advantages is having a wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, two of the league’s best on both ends of the floor. However, that advantage is quickly thrown out the window against Milwaukee, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have the edge on both ends of the floor. Giannis, who just signed a supermax extension, is now officially committed to his team and he should be better than ever with Holiday as a pick-and-roll partner—and ball-handler, in general.
The Celtics can compete with the Bucks when both teams are at full strength, but it’s a tough ask for them to go out there and win without Walker’s offensive firepower.
PREDICTION: Bucks -3.0 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
If this was a midseason game, the Over would be a bit more enticing in a matchup like this. But as previously mentioned, these teams still need to feel themselves out early in the year.
There will be some hiccups with Holiday now running the point for Milwaukee, and Boston is going to miss Walker’s ability to create. There are also first-game nerves, so some of these guys might take a quarter or so to really get in the flow of things.
PREDICTION: Under 226.5 (-110)
Player Prop Pick
Last year, Brook Lopez hit six threes on 15 attempts in three meetings with the Celtics. In this offense, Lopez is a lock for a couple of good looks each night, and things should be even better with Holiday running the show.
Also, Lopez had more competition for minutes at the center position last season, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he played 33-34 minutes in the opener, which would be an increase on the 28.7 MPG he played against Boston last year.
PREDICTION: Brook Lopez Over 1.5 Threes (-118)
Bucks vs Celtics Betting Card
- Bucks -3.0 (-110)
- Under 226.5 (-110)
- Brook Lopez Over 1.5 Threes (-118)
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