Bucks Remain Red Hot
The Boston Celtics are a tough team to figure out. When they are on their game, they look like the best team in the league by a considerable margin. But all too often, they just don’t show up, as evidenced by Tuesday night’s blowout loss to a shorthanded Washington team.
That loss took a lot of pizzazz out of Thursday’s visit to first-place Milwaukee, as the Celtics are now three games behind the Bucks with six to play. Still, this rivalry will yield a hard-fought contest and presents you with a great opportunity to do some online gambling. Read on for some more NBA news as it relates to the Celtics and Bucks before checking out our NBA picks.
Boston Looks to Rebound From DC Debacle
Jaylen Brown blamed Washington traffic. Jayson Tatum said games like this “tend to happen” from time to time. Head coach Joe Mazzulla called it “one of those nights.”
Whatever it was, it caused the Celtics to put forth a rather embarrassing display against a Wizards squad that had dropped five of their previous six and was without both Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma. Tatum scored 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting, but his fellow starters combined for only 44 on 18-for-42 shooting.
Boston was 11-for-44 from the arc and trailed by as many as 23 points.
One silver lining is that the game was decided early enough that Mazzulla could spread out his minutes. Only Tatum played more than 30 minutes (32) and the Celtics get a full day of rest entering this one, unlike the Bucks, who will be finishing up a back-to-back.
Perhaps that edge in energy is enough to sway you with a bet online.
Bucks Inching Toward Top Overall Seed
There was a time, maybe a few weeks ago, when it looked as if this would be the first NBA season in a couple of decades without a 60-win team. The Bucks still have a chance if they can win five of their last six games, all by virtue of their phenomenal 26-4 stretch.
They trailed the Celtics by 5½ games before that hot streak began, just to give you an idea as to how dramatically they’ve seized control of the East. Their latest effort, a 149-136 win at Indiana on Wednesday, saw Jrue Holiday go for a career-high 51 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo for 38 in a scorching offensive display.
“It’s hard to come up with the superlatives to describe them,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said of his top scorers. “They were phenomenal. Giannis set the tone with his aggressive attacking. Then Jrue for the whole game to have 51, that’s hard to do in an NBA game.”
Milwaukee thrived more on its defense and rebounding early in the season (and points from Giannis, of course), but it is clicking on the offensive end in a scary way. During the 26-4 run, the Bucks are averaging 124.6 points, more than three points higher than anyone else in the East during that time frame.
It’s no wonder the Bucks’ NBA title odds have vastly improved.
Celtics vs Bucks Game Injuries
Celtics vs Bucks Head-to-Head
Boston holds a slim 115-110 lead in a series that began in 1968. The home team has won the last six meetings.
Celtics vs Bucks Game Information
- Game: Celtics (52-24) vs Bucks (55-21)
- Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
- Day/Time: Thursday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Celtics vs Bucks Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Celtics vs Bucks Betting Lines
Celtics vs Bucks Picks and Prediction
The oddsmakers seem to think the back-to-back could impact things here, as the spread is tiny. But consider that no Milwaukee player was in for more than 32 minutes at Indiana and that the Bucks are 9-2 when playing on no rest (4-0 at home).
It’s just hard to tell which Celtics team will come out. There’s a good chance they win this thing by 15 points, but we like Milwaukee to take one more big leap toward that top seed.
Milwaukee is listed at -140 in our NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Bucks, you have a chance to win $71. Boston is +120, offering a chance to win $120 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Milwaukee a 58.33% chance to win, with the Celtics at 45.45%.
Celtics vs Bucks Trends
Celtics vs Bucks Edge
Celtics vs Bucks Results
Celtics vs Bucks Game Summary
Celtics vs Bucks Previous Game (Feb 14, 2023)
The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks meet in what could be an early look at the Eastern Conference Finals.
Boasting 80 wins between them, the Celtics and Bucks have separated themselves as the best in the East and possibly the best in the NBA.
Despite dominating the Bucks in recent times, we’re picking the Bucks to hold down the fort at home and win.
They are keen to avenge the earlier loss and momentum with the Bucks, so we can’t find many reasons not to back them.
Take them to win and include the over in NBA picks. It should be an offensive masterclass from both sides.
