- The Boston Celtics host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in a potential Eastern Conference finals preview
- With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, the C’s are double-digit favorites
- See the Bucks vs Celtics odds, injury report, player props, and predictions for March 20
A highly anticipated game between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night has lost some of its luster. The Milwaukee Bucks (44-24, 17-17 away, 30-37-1 ATS) will be without leading scorer and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) when they visit the East-leading Boston Celtics (54-14, 31-3 home, 36-29-3 ATS) on Wednesday night at TD Garden (7:40 pm ET).
With Giannis sidelined, the Celtics are massive home favorites.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | +10.5 (-110) | +400 | Over 224 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | -10.5 (-110) | -535 | Under 224 (-110) |
Boston is laying 10.5 points to the East’s current #2 seed and is a -535 favorite on the moneyline. Milwaukee comes back at +400 to win straight-up. The total is at 224 and the NBA public betting splits show the vast majority of action on the over (93% as of 1 pm ET).
With a 10-game lead over the Bucks and just 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics are all but assured the #1 seed in the East in the 2024 NBA playoff bracket. Milwaukee is just one game up on #3 Cleveland and three up on #4 New York. If the postseason started today and the seeds held in the Play-In Tournament, Boston would face #8 Miami in the first round while Milwaukee would face #7 Indiana.
Milwaukee Dusts Phoenix Without Giannis
The Bucks looked more than comfortable – especially on offense – without Giannis on Sunday when they raced past Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns 140-129 (home) as 2.5-point home underdogs. Damian Lillard dropped 31 points and 16 assists on 10-of-19 shooting while Bobby Portis added another 31 off the bench while shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from three.
Playing his first game since Feb. 6, Khris Middleton showed no signs of rust, scoring 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting with seven assists in 25 minutes.
Sunday’s win improved Milwaukee’s record to 3-1 SU without Giannis this season. In addition to the Suns, the Bucks managed wins over the Raptors (128-112 away) and Clippers (113-106 home), while losing by 40 to the Cavaliers (135-95 away). Last season, pre-Damian Lillard, the Bucks were 11-8 without Giannis.
Lillard, who’s second on the team in scoring at 24.4 PPG, has averaged 31.5 PPG in the four games Giannis has missed this year. Antetokounmpo leads the team in both scoring (30.4 PPG), rebounding (11.2 RPG), and steals (1.2 SPG), and is second to Lillard in assists (6.4 APG). He’s currently the fourth-favorite in the NBA MVP odds.
Boston Freight Train Keeps Rolling
Since suffering just their second two-game losing streak of the season on March 5 and 7, the Celtics have rattled off six straight wins and all six have been by double-digits. While the quality of competition wasn’t too high, their current win streak includes a pair of wins over the Suns (117-107 away, 127-112 home).
Boston leads the NBA in a wide range of statistics. The C’s are first in Offensive Rating (122.0), which is 2.2 higher than second-place Indiana. (The gap between Boston and Indiana is the same as the gap between Boston and seventh-place Denver.) Boston is also first in point differential by a wide margin. At +11.7, the Celtics are 4.1 ahead of second-place OKC (+7.6).
Boston’s Defensive Rating (110.2) is second to Minnesota (108.4) while the team is also fourth in rebound percentage (51.7%) and second in turnover percentage (12.3%).
On the injury front, both Jrue Holiday (shoulder) and Jaylen Brown (ankle) are listed as questionable. Brown had a game-high 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting in 30 minutes against the Pistons last time out (a 119-94 Boston win on Monday). Holiday didn’t play.
MIL vs BOS Player Props
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Three-Pointers Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Portis (MIL) | 15.5 (Ov -125 | Un -105) | 8.5 (Ov -140 | Un +110) | OFF | 1.5 (Ov +124 | Un -160) |
| Brook Lopez (MIL) | 11.5 (Ov -100 | Un -130) | 5.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | OFF | 1.5 (Ov -130 | Un -100) |
| Damian Lillard (MIL) | 26.5 (Ov -115 | Un -115) | 4.5 (Ov -130 | Un -100) | 7.5 (Ov -135 | Un +105) | 3.5 (Ov +105 | Un -135) |
| Jae Crowder (BOS) | 6.5 (Ov +105 | Un -135) | 3.5 (Ov -160 | Un +124) | OFF | 1.5 (Ov +114 | Un -145) |
| Jaylen Brown (BOS) | 23.5 (Ov -125 | Un -105) | 6.5 (Ov +114 | Un -145) | 3.5 (Ov +124 | Un -160) | 2.5 (Ov +120 | Un -150) |
| Jayson Tatum (BOS) | 26.5 (Ov -105 | Un -125) | 7.5 (Ov -135 | Un +105) | 4.5 (Ov -140 | Un +110) | 3.5 (Ov +120 | Un -150) |
| Jrue Holiday (BOS) | 10.5 (Ov -135 | Un +105) | 4.5 (Ov +105 | Un -135) | 5.5 (Ov +124 | Un -160) | 1.5 (Ov -140 | Un +110) |
| Khris Middleton (MIL) | 15.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | 4.5 (Ov +120 | Un -150) | 4.5 (Ov +105 | Un -135) | 1.5 (Ov -145 | Un +114) |
| Malik Beasley (MIL) | 12.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | 3.5 (Ov -100 | Un -130) | OFF | 3.5 (Ov +135 | Un -175) |
Bucks/Celtics NBA player props from DraftKings Sportsbook on March 20.
With Giannis out, Damian Lillard has a game-high point total of 26.5, alongside Boston’s Jayson Tatum. Lillard also has the highest assist total of the night at 7.5.
Bucks vs Celtics Prediction
This line is disrespectful to a Milwaukee group that still has a ton of talent sans Giannis. Especially with Middleton back and at full speed, the Bucks have the makeup of a top-four team in the East whether Antetokounmpo is in the lineup or not.
Expect a big effort from the shorthanded Bucks and a much closer game than the odds portend.
Bucks vs Celtics picks:
- Milwaukee Bucks +10.5 (-110)
- Lillard over 26.5 points (-115) – two units
Sascha Paruk’s 2023-24 NBA betting record:
- 17-23 moneyline (+2.06 units)
- 20-18-2 ATS (+1.32 units)
- 0-1 over/under (-1.00 units)
- 7-13 player props (-7.82 units)
- 0-3 same-game parlay (-3.00 units)
All wagers one unit unless expressly stated otherwise
The Milwaukee Bucks are set to take on the Boston Celtics on March 20 in what promises to be an exciting matchup between two Eastern Conference powerhouses. Both teams are currently jockeying for playoff positioning, with the Bucks sitting in third place and the Celtics in fourth.
The Bucks come into this game with a record of 41-25, led by superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The reigning two-time MVP is averaging 28.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game this season and will be looking to lead his team to victory against the Celtics.
On the other side, the Celtics boast a record of 38-28 and are led by All-Star forward Jayson Tatum. Tatum is averaging 25.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game and will be a key player for the Celtics in this matchup.
When it comes to player prop bets, there are several options to consider for this game. For the Bucks, betting on Giannis Antetokounmpo to score over 30 points or grab double-digit rebounds could be a solid bet. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scoring over 25 points or hitting a certain number of three-pointers could be worth considering.
As for the betting odds, the Bucks are currently favored to win this game with odds of -150, while the Celtics are underdogs with odds of +130. The over/under for total points scored in this game is set at 226.5, indicating that oddsmakers are expecting a high-scoring affair between these two teams.
Overall, this matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics is sure to be a thrilling game with playoff implications on the line. With star players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum leading their respective teams, fans can expect a competitive and entertaining contest on March 20.