The Milwaukee Bucks host the Boston Celtics in a Christmas Day battle on Saturday afternoon. Milwaukee is 21-13 this season, with Boston sporting a 16-16 record through 32 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and could suit up against the Celtics, while Donte DiVincenzo and Bobby Portis are listed as out. Al Horford, Grant Williams, Enes Kanter Freedom and Josh Richardson are among the players listed as out for Boston in the protocols.
Tip-off is at 2:30 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Bucks as five-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 220 in the latest Celtics vs. Bucks odds. Before you make any Bucks vs. Celtics picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 10 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 46-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $1,900. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Bucks and locked in its NBA picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Bucks vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -5
- Celtics vs. Bucks over-under: 220 points
- Celtics vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -200, Celtics +170
- BOS: The Celtics are 9-7-1 against the spread in road games
- MIL: The Bucks are 6-10 against the spread in home games
Featured Game | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston’s defense is playing at a sky-high level. Opponents are scoring only 1.07 points per possession against the Celtics, a top-10 mark in the NBA, and Boston is holding opponents to 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 34.1 percent shooting from 3-point distance. Opponents also produce only 21.7 assists per game, third-fewest in the NBA. The Celtics are above-average on the defensive glass, securing 73.8 percent of available rebounds, and Boston is limiting opponents to only 12.1 second-chance points per game.
Boston is also a top-five team in the NBA in limiting points in the paint (42.8 per game), and the Celtics are above-average in blocked shots (5.3 per game) and fast break points allowed (11.6 per game). Boston’s offense has strengths as well, namely in the form of free throw shooting. The Celtics are in the top five of the NBA in free throw attempts (21.5 per game) and free throw accuracy (80.8 percent), and that is a valuable weapon in close games.
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee is very strong from a statistical standpoint, and Boston’s weaknesses could provide advantages for the Bucks. The Celtics are in the bottom third of the NBA in field goal percentage on offense, and Boston also struggles with assists, ranking near the bottom of the league. On the opposite end, Boston is just No. 24 in the NBA in free throw attempts allowed, and the Bucks should be able to put pressure on the rim as a result.
Milwaukee is in the top 10 of the NBA in offensive and defensive rating, landing above the league average in 3-pointers (14.1 per game), turnover avoidance and offensive rebound rate. On defense, the Bucks are in the top six in both field goal percentage allowed and 3-point percentage allowed, and Milwaukee is allowing only 18.5 free throw attempts per game to opponents.
How to make Bucks vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 208 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s NBA picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Bucks? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
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