The Milwaukee Bucks are wrestling with whether to bring down the curtain on the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, and it would be no surprise if there’s a distracted vibe in today’s clash with the Boston Celtics.
Milwaukee has lost four in a row and will be without Giannis again here, so my Bucks vs. Celtics predictions expect Boston to take care of business, powered by more Payton Pritchard fireworks.
Check out my NBA picks for this Eastern Conference showdown on Sunday, February 1.
Bucks vs Celtics prediction
Bucks vs Celtics best bet: Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points (-110)
Despite Jayson Tatum’s injury and Kristaps Porzingis’ exit, the Boston Celtics still rank second in the league in 3-pointers made per game this season.
Payton Pritchard has willingly stepped up from beyond the arc, and he had free rein to cook on Friday with Jaylen Brown sitting out. He turned those extra touches into 29 points on 12-for-16 shooting against Sacramento, and Pritchard's a high-value pick to continue that hot streak against the Milwaukee Bucks.
While he probably won’t have that kind of volume today, Pritchard still fits in effortlessly when Brown and Derrick White are running the show, and he’s averaging 21.2 points per game across his last five games. That leads me to the Over on this points prop, after Pritchard knocked down his 3-pointers at a 42% clip in January.
It helps that the Bucks are on the ropes — their double-digit loss to Washington this past Thursday says it all. I don’t expect the visitors to offer much resistance defensively, especially with the Giannis shadow still looming over the franchise.
That should mean some great looks for Pritchard, who’s a slightly more accurate shooter at TD Garden and has become a steady No. 3 option for Boston.
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Bucks vs Celtics same-game parlay
Piggybacking on a big Pritchard game, I’ll take the Over on this Celtics team total. The hosts are averaging 116.3 ppg this season, and without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee could be vulnerable to an avalanche of Boston 3-pointers.
Antetokounmpo’s absence also opens up more rebounding opportunities for his teammates, and Kyle Kuzma has upped his activity on the glass lately. Kuzma has hauled in 27 boards across his past three contests, and he’s seen an uptick in court time, logging 30+ minutes in four of his last five games.
Bucks vs Celtics SGP
- Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points
- Celtics Over 114.5
- Kyle Kuzma Over 6.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: White's Shooting Woes Linger
White continues to contribute all over the box score for Boston, but his 3-point slump has been alarming.
The Celtics guard shot just 26% from downtown in January, and he’s only knocked down 3+ triples in one of his last nine outings.
Bucks vs Celtics SGP
- Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points
- Celtics Over 114.5
- Kyle Kuzma Over 6.5 rebounds
- Derrick White Under 2.5 threes
Bucks vs Celtics odds
- Spread: Bucks +13.5 (-110) | Celtics -13.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Bucks +550 | Celtics -900
- Over/Under: Over 217.5 (-110) | Under 217.5 (-110)
Bucks vs Celtics betting trend to know
The Bucks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Celtics.
How to watch Bucks vs Celtics
| Location | TD Garden, Boston, MA |
| Date | Sunday, February 1, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Bucks vs Celtics latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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