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The NBA season continues with games on Monday. The Milwaukee Bucks will hit the road and face off against the Boston Celtics. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Bucks-Celtics prediction and pick.
These two teams have been having different seasons. The Milwaukee Bucks are 18-10 and are coming off back to back wins. While the Boston Celtics are 13-14 and have lost their last three games. Both of these teams are competitive and this should be an interesting matchup.
Here are the odds for the Bucks-Celtics Monday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bucks-Celtics Odds
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Milwaukee Bucks: -1.5 (-110)
Boston Celtics: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 220.5 (-110)
Under: 220.5 (-110)
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
The Milwaukee Bucks have been having a very solid season. They started off slow but have since picked things up. Through their first 28 games they have 18 wins. The Bucks are coming off an impressive 15 point victory over the New York Knicks. The reigning NBA champions have overcome some adversity this season and are beginning to look like the team they were last season. If Milwaukee can repeat their last game's performance then they should have no problem stealing a win on the road over Boston.
Milwaukee didn't dominate the statistics in their win over New York. Even though they managed to win by a large margin, the Bucks still had some notable struggles. Across most metrics the Bucks and Knicks were nearly even, with the Knicks actually knocking down more threes than the Bucks. Assists, steals, and turnovers were basically the same for both teams. However, two things stand out as to why the Bucks won. Milwaukee got more rebounds and made more free throws. This game came down to the fundamentals and Milwaukee came out ahead. If the Bucks can keep playing solid fundamental basketball then they will keep taking down tough opponents.
Leading the way for the Bucks is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is arguably the best player in the NBA. The Greek Freak has the ability to take over any game. In their win over the Knicks, Giannis had 20 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. This stat line was actually low in some categories for Giannis. On the season he is averaging over 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists a game. The Greek Freak is a key part of every game, and Monday will be no exception. Expect Giannis to come out and try to dominate the Celtics.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Celtics have been having a very disappointing season. The expectation for the Celtics going into this season was a deep playoff run. Through their first 27 games they don't even have a winning record, winning only 13. Boston is coming off a 21 point loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics will look to turn things around on Monday. This team has the talent and ability to compete against tough opponents. If the Celtics can play up to their potential on Monday then they could end up pulling off this upset.
Boston's loss to the Phoenix Suns exposed some flaws in this team. The biggest gap that was exposed was shooting efficiency. The Celtics need to start making shots at a higher percentage. While it may have just been a poor shooting night, there is no excuse. Boston shot just over 37% from the field on 93 attempts, and only 15% from beyond the arc on 26 attempts. The Celtics were playing solid all around basketball but they just weren't making their shots. If they want to beat one of the best offensive teams in the league then they need to make shots. If Boston can fix this huge problem then they could definitely give the Bucks a run for their money.
The leader of this Celtic's team is Jayson Tatum. Tatum is a very talented scorer, but he was also struggling to shoot efficiently. He managed to score 24 points and grab 7 rebounds in their loss to Phoenix, but he only made 10 of 25 shot attempts. If this Celtics team wants to turn things around then it all starts with Tatum. If the Celtics star can start making better decisions, taking better shots, and setting up his teammates, then Boston could start winning some games. Expect Tatum to try and make up for poor efficiency and to give his team a chance to win this game.
Final Bucks-Celtics Prediction & Pick
This is a pretty easy decision. Even though the Celtics are talented enough to compete against the Bucks, they haven't shown that they will do so on Monday. These two teams have been trending in different directions. The Bucks are finally making a run and gaining momentum, while Boston seems to be coming to a screeching halt. Pick the Bucks to win and cover.
FINAL BUCKS-CELTICS PICK: Milwaukee Bucks -1.5 (-110)
FINAL BUCKS-CELTICS SCORE PREDICTION: Bucks 121 – Celtics 107
