Two of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference meet in the early hours of Saturday morning, as the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks go head-to-head at the TD Garden.
Defending champions Boston are currently second in the East with an 18-4 record, as they prepare to face a Bucks team that have struggled on the road.
Boston Celtics v Milwaukee Bucks prop bets, tips and predictions
Boston Celtics -8 Spread – 10/11
Early season form suggests the defending NBA champions will challenge again for the Larry O’Brien Trophy this season.
The Celtics lost just 18 of their 82 regular season games last term and that was built around an impressive home record, losing just four times at the TD Garden.
Joe Mazzulla’s men have won nine of their 11 home games this season and will feel they can build on an impressive success on Thursday evening.
Boston saw off the Detroit Pistons in a high-scoring affair in Massachusetts, with the hosts running out 130-120 victors.
At the same time, Milwaukee were losing on their home court, as the Atlanta Hawks left the Fiserv Forum with a 119-104 success.
The Bucks saw their two big names deliver, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 31 points and Damian Lillard chipping in with 25. However, nobody else scored more than 11 points and that will be a concern for coach Doc Rivers.
In contrast, four players scored 19 points or more for Boston against the Pistons, with Jaylen Brown top-scoring with 28 points, whilst also claiming six rebounds and nine assists.
The Celtics have already beaten the Bucks twice this season – including a 119-112 home success in October - and they will be confident of making it three wins on the spin.
The visitors could be boosted by the return to the court of small forward Khris Middleton, who hasn’t played yet this season.
Milwaukee will be delighted to have the 33-year-old back, but they will need to be cautious with his game time given he has undergone surgery on both ankles.
The Celtics are hopeful that Jayson Tatum will be back in contention, having sat out the Pistons game. Jrue Holiday has missed the last two games but the point guard has also been taken off the injury report.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - Over 30.5 Points – 4/5
The Bucks star man is leading the league in points scored, with Giannis averaging 32.6 per game going into the clash in Boston.
Despite Milwaukee losing to the Celtics at the Fiserv Forum last month, the Greek Freak fired 43 points and also claimed 13 rebounds.
He also made 30 points in the October loss in Boston and having lost twice to them already, he will be determined to have another big night against the defending champions.
Giannis and Lillard are the only Milwaukee stars in the top-100 NBA points scorers this season and when you consider Boston have four, that shows the size of the task facing the away team.
Both Teams to Score 110 Points (Yes) – 7/5
Boston are the third-highest scorers in the league after 22 games played, averaging 120.5 per game so far.
It’s worth noting that the Celtics have scored 120 or more points in six of their last 10 NBA games, including 139 in last month’s win over Brooklyn.
The Bucks have not been shy either in and around the paint, with Milwaukee averaging 113.6 points in their opening 21 games of the season.
Doc Rivers’ men have beaten the 110-point target in five of their last seven fixtures, including 129 in their win over the Indiana Pacers two weeks ago.
The sides were just two points short of this spread when they met in Boston on 28th October, while this bet would have landed in two of their four meetings last season.
Read more US sports betting tips and predictions on site
Celtics v Bucks money line, spread, over/under
| Money Line | Spread | Over/Under |
Celtics | -8.0 - 10/11 | Under 227.5 - 10/11 | |
Bucks | +8.0 - 10/11 | Over 227.5 - 10/11 |
View the full market and more odds for Boston Celtics v Milwaukee Bucks on site
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
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