Game: Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Odds: Celtics +6, Bucks -6
Total: 228
The No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs is up for grabs tonight when Boston travels to Milwaukee. Both teams have been playing well over the final stretch of the regular season. The Celtics are 14-3 SU in their last 17 games while the Bucks are 13-5 SU in their last 18. Boston has won three straight over Indiana, Washington, and Chicago and the Celtics won those three games by an average of 23.3 points per game. The issue for Boston is the win over the Bulls was just last night.
Milwaukee’s last victory was also against the Bulls, but that win came on Tuesday night. The Bucks won by 21, 127-106. Milwaukee has a slight rest advantage on the Celtics who are 8-6 SU this season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Boston will once again be without Robert Williams III and Al Horford is questionable. That could give an advantage to the Bucks in the paint. Giannis Antetokounmpo is also questionable but should play and with the No. 2 seed and the league MVP on the line, he should be motivated.
Boston has won seven of the last ten games against Milwaukee. In three games so far this season, the home team has won every game. Boston won twice at home and the Bucks won the last time the two teams played which was on Christmas Day. The Celtics have won nine of their last 11 games overall and last night Jaylen Brown led the way with 25 points. Jayson Tatum added 16 and 10 rebounds and Horford added 17 points and 10 rebounds. More importantly, the Boston defense shut down Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan (16 points) and Zach LaVine (7 points).
Milwaukee is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games. In their last 14 games as the favorite, the Bucks have won 10 times and they have covered in each of the last seven games against an Eastern Conference opponent. Milwaukee is 6-2 SU in the last eight games it has played at home. The Celtics actually play very well on the road. For the season, the Celtics have won 23 of 39 road games and they have won 13 of their last 15 away from home.
Boston is also 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games and 6-0 ATS in the last six games against the Bucks. While Milwaukee has had some recent success against the number, the Bucks are 38-41 ATS for the season and they struggle to cover at home. At the Fiserv Forum this season, Milwaukee is 16-24 ATS. Working on no rest, Boston is just 6-7-1 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back.
Both teams have been trending Over recently. Four of Milwaukee’s last five game totals have resulted in the Over. For Boston, eight of the last ten games have gone Over the posted total. In the series, the Over has cashed in seven of the last ten meetings with the average combined final score at 231.4.