The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics look to get their respective 2020-21 campaigns started off on the right foot when they meet on Wednesday. The longtime Eastern Conference rivals both saw their championship hopes come up short last season, but head into the upcoming season as two of the top online betting favorites. Let’s dive into BetUS’ Bucks vs Celtics betting picks.
After re-signing superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to a five-year max contract extension, the Bucks will continue their push to become league champions in 2021. As for Boston, the C’s extended blossoming young star Jayson Tatum to a five-year max deal that will keep him in Boston for years to come.
With the 2020-21 NBA season here and a multitude of NBA odds available, let’s find out which team is offering the best sportsbook betting value.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics Betting News
- When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- TV: TNT
- NBA Odds: Milwaukee -3
- Total: OFF
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Why Bet On Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Bucks went 56-17 last season to finish with the best mark in the regular season for the second straight season. The bad news is that the Bucks saw their championship hopes come to an abrupt end for the second consecutive postseason by getting bounced by Miami in five swift games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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The good news is that Milwaukee managed to retain the services of Antetokounmpo by signing the gifted big man to a five-year, $228.2 million deal. To help increase their hopes of reaching the NBA Finals this season, Milwaukee acquired veteran combo guard Jrue Holiday. They also added veterans, DJ Augustin, Torrey Craig, Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis.
Milwaukee swung for the fences in its pursuit of sweet-shooting veteran Bogdan Bogdanovic. But failed in epic fashion as he chose to sign with Atlanta. The Bucks went 0-3 in the preseason while losing consecutive games to the Dallas Mavericks and falling to New Orleans Pelicans 127-113 on Friday night, though Antetokounmpo didn’t suit up.
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Why Bet On Boston
The Boston Celtics went 48-24 last season to finish second in the Atlantic division behind Toronto. Boston swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and got past Toronto in a seven-game thriller, but also fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals in six games.
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To make matters worse, the Celtics failed miserably in their offseason bid to improve their roster, particularly in the frontcourt. Boston did sign star forward Jayson Tatum to a five-year, $195 million deal. However, Boston also parted ways with versatile forward Gordon Hayward, center Enes Kanter, and backup point guard Brad Wanamaker.
The Celtics were clearly lacking in the frontcourt last season. But, GM Danny Ainge failed in his bid to acquire an active big man. Boston’s biggest (only) additions being the free-agent signings of veteran center Tristan Thompson and veteran point guard Jeff Teague.
Boston dropped both of its preseason games by getting spanked by Philadelphia 108-99 in their opener. And then, looking worse in their embarrassing 113-89 smackdown. That was at the hands of the revamped Nets on Friday night. Kevin Durant scored a game-high 25 points in 27 minutes.
Let’s take a look at the odds to win the 2021 NBA Conference Championships!
Bucks vs Celtics Betting News: Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
Boston might be playing at home in this regular-season opener, but the C’s lost two of three against Milwaukee last season and six of the last seven meetings overall. Boston ranked ninth in scoring and second in points allowed last season. Milwaukee finished first in scoring and eighth in points allowed.
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Milwaukee has gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road favorite and 33-16 ATS in their last 49 games following a straight-up loss. The bad news is that the Bucks are also 4-9 ATS in its last 13 road games. While Boston has gone 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games as a home underdog. Unfortunately, Boston is also 1-4 ATS in their last five home games. Milwaukee has gone 3-7 ATS in its last 10 road dates against the Celtics. However, the Bucks are also 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings overall.
For this regular-season opener, I like Milwaukee. They’d get a confidence-boosting road win by dominating Boston in the paint and on the boards. Outside of promising young big man Robert Williams – and to a far lesser degree – Tristan Thompson — the Celtics just don’t have enough rebounding and rim protection. I’m expecting Boston to take a sizable step backward this season – starting with an opening night loss against Milwaukee.
Bucks vs Celtics Betting Picks Prediction: Milwaukee 115 Boston 106
