The Bucks are looking for the fourth consecutive victory, while the Celtics are playing the fourth game in a row at home. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics
Spread: Boston Celtics -6 (-105) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 202.5 points (-115/105)
The Bucks are hoping for the second win at TD Garden this season
The Milwaukee Bucks are in a good run of three wins, two of which came on the road, and now are hoping for the third straight away victory. Milwaukee already beat the Celtics in Boston in this campaign, it was early in the season and it was Boston’s second loss, right before they started the fantastic run of 16 consecutive victories. Jason Kidd’s side is currently in the 6th position in the Eastern Conference with the 12-9 record, and they are trailing behind the divisional rivals Detroit and Cleveland by two and four wins, respectively.
Despite hitting only six triples on 19 attempts, Milwaukee managed to beat the Sacramento Kings at home, 109:104, harder than expected, but at the end of the day, the win is a win. The Bucks were excellent from the free-throw line as they made even 35 shots on 43 attempts (83.3%), and although the Kings had 90.5%, they scored 19 free-throws. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a double-double of 33 points (8-15 FG, 17-22 FT) and 13 rebounds, along with five assists, and game-high three steals, while Khris Middleton added 25 points (9-15 FG, 3-5 3PT). Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points with four boards and a couple of thefts, Malcolm Brogdon chipped in with 13 points and five dimes, while John Henson ended the match with eight points, eight rebounds, and game-high two blocks. Giannis will play at the power forward position and he will face Al Horford in what should be a quite interesting matchup as both players are excellent defenders. Middleton should have easier job against the rookie Jayson Tatum and I can see Khris scoring 20+ points on this one, while Henson and Aaron Baynes will have a fight below the rims, and I think Milwaukee’s center will win that duel. Brogdon will lead the second unit and will have a matchup with Marcus Smart, who is the usual leader of Boston’s bench.
Jason Kidd is still waiting for Jabari Parker to return to training, but it its highly unlikely Parker will be ready to play until January, but Mirza Teletovic could return soon, which is a good news for Milwaukee. Matthew Dellavedova is out for this tilt with a left knee tendinitis and in his absence, Bledsoe and Brogdon will see more minutes on the floor. The Bucks are scoring 103.19 points per contest on average (22nd in the NBA), while they are allowing 103.90 points in return (14th in the NBA). Milwaukee is among the top five teams in the league (4th) when it comes to field goal percentage (48.03%), and their road offense is even better as they are shooting 49.39% from the field.
Place: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Date/Time: Monday, December 4th, 2017, 7:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: NBCSB, FOX SPORTS WISCONSIN, NBA TV CANADA
The Celtics are looking for the third straight win
The Boston Celtics are welcoming the Bucks for the second time this season and are playing the fourth home match in a row. Boston won the previous two after a defeat to the Detroit Pistons, and Brad Stevens’ team is now at the top of the Eastern Conference with the 20-4 record, the best record in the NBA. The Celtics did lose the opening game of the series with Milwaukee, but they managed to get a win in Wisconsin, so it’s tied, 1-1.
Boston defeated the Suns a lot harder than it was anticipated as the visitors put up a fight and didn’t allow the Celtics to create a bigger advantage throughout the encounter. The hosts had an excellent field goal percentage (52.5%) and hit 14 triples on 31 attempts (45.2%), and even though they were inferior below the rims (31-45), the Celtics secured the victory in the end. Stevens’ team made only nine turnovers and recorded 32 assists opposite to Phoenix’s 24, while Boston had six blocks and the Suns just one. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 19 points, five dishes, and two thefts, Jaylen Brown contributed with 17 points and a couple of steals, while Marcus Morris had 17 points and eight rebounds. Jayson Tatum displayed a solid performance with 15 points, six boards two dimes, and two rejections, Al Horford posted a double-double of 14 points and 11 assists, along with five rebounds, while Marcus Smart scored 13 points with seven dimes, and four boards. Irving’s matchup with Bledsoe is certainly the most intriguing, but I think the good distribution of points will play a vital role for the hosts in this clash as if they again have six players in double digits, Boston don’t need to worry.
Brad Stevens is delighted to have almost his entire squad healthy and raring to go, as only Gordon Hayward is missing, but even with him on the sidelines, Boston is looking as one of the top candidates for the title. The Celtics are scoring 104.50 points per contest on average (19th in the NBA), while they are allowing 97.42 points in return (1st in the NBA). Boston is among the top ten teams in the league in terms of rebounding (45.00) and three-point shooting (37.11%), but the defense is phenomenal and is fifth in the NBA in defending the floor (43.96%) and fourth in defending the perimeter (33.70%).
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Trends & Prediction
The Bucks are 9-11-1 against the spread (6-4-1 away), while they are 11-10 on over/under (7-4 away), so considering that they are playing more offensively on the road, I think going OVER on this one is a good option.
The Celtics are 18-5-1 against the spread (8-3-1 home), while they are 12-12 on over/under (6-6 home), and it looks like it is better to play spread on Boston than playing on points here, but I believe this one will be a close encounter, so I opted for points only.
My Pick: Pass
Total: Over 202.5 points (-115)
