Celtics vs. Bucks: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Celtics vs. Bucks Odds
| Celtics Odds | +8.5 |
| Celtics Odds | -8.5 |
| Over/Under | 225 |
| Date | Tue, Feb. 14 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | TNT |
Tonight, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks will meet at the Fiserv Forum. Entering play, Boston (41-16) owns the best record in the Eastern Conference, with Milwaukee (39-17) trailing in the standings by 1.5 games. Nevertheless, the absence of key players for the Celtics has oddsmakers expecting an easy win for the Bucks on Tuesday, pricing Milwaukee as 9-point home favorites on the spread.
Boston Celtics
Tatum, Brown, Smart OUT
Entering play on Tuesday, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are averaging a combined 57.1 points per game this season. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston’s third-leading scorer, is averaging 14.3 points per contest. The absence of Tatum, Brown, and Smart leaves a major void for the Celtics to fill this evening.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Boston has played 265 possessions with each of Tatum, Brown, and Smart off of the floor this season. In that sample size, the Celtics rank in the ninth percentile in offensive efficiency and the 59th percentile in defensive efficiency.
Who will step up for Boston?
Bettors are dealing with extremely small sample sizes when trying to figure out who will absorb the usage of Tatum, Brown, and Smart, but two players clearly emerge as likely candidates – Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White.
In these situations, both Brogdon (+12.3%) and White (+10.6%) see massive increases in usage. Per 36 minutes, Brogdon is averaging 27.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. White is averaging 24.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists.
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Milwaukee Bucks
Middleton’s presence making a difference
Since Khris Middleton returned to the floor on January 23, Milwaukee is a perfect 9-0 in games in which he has played. In that span, the Bucks rank second in the entire NBA in Net Rating, having outscored their opponents by 11.1 points per 100 possessions.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Milwaukee ranks in the 89th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 95th percentile in defensive efficiency with Middleton on the floor this season, compared to the 74th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 87th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines. Middleton’s impact is undeniable, even on a restricted workload.
Dominant at home
The Bucks have not lost a home game in over a month, the only team in the league that is capable of staking such a claim. In their last seven contests in their home gym, Milwaukee is outscoring their opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions. During that stretch, they rank third-best in defensive efficiency, making life difficult on their opponents.
Celtics vs. Heat – Picks & Predictions
In addition to having already ruled out Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, Al Horford and “(player-popup #robert-williams-iii)Robert Williams III are each listed as questionable. Boston has played only 171 possessions this season without all five players. In that small sample size, they rank in the 24th percentile in offensive efficiency and the seventh percentile in defensive efficiency. The Bucks are an elite team on both ends of the floor, with Bobby Portis being their only notable absence. Expect Milwaukee to win comfortably in this spot, trust them on the spread.
PICK: Bucks -8.5 (-110, BetMGM)
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