Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction, Odds & Tips 20/03/24
Calendar icon Updated 20 Mar 06:34

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction, Odds & Tips 20/03/24

Kaleb Vanderhorst

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks. Shape of the Teams

Boston hosts the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Wednesday in what might be a sneak peek into what the Eastern Conference finals are going to look like. However, both teams look to be struggling with minor injuries here and there, with Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown questionable for the game while Giannis Antetokounmpo struggles with some left hamstring soreness.

Giannis should be good to play, as he practiced with no issues on Tuesday, but the two Celtics are still a big unknown.

Nonetheless, even with injuries, the Boston Celtics have been simply unstoppable, only dropping games here and there against real competition like the Denver Nuggets on March 7th. Their defence has been rock-solid with a smooth half-court offence – the Celtics are almost like the mid-2010s Spurs; they just play good basketball.

That doesn’t mean Milwaukee isn’t a real threat, though, especially with Damian Lillard playing that floor general role so well. Dame has been averaging a stellar 24.2 points, 10.8 assists and 5.0 over the last 10 games, while the Greek Freak has been his normal dominant self.

Odds via Tonybet

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee BucksMarch 20, 5:30 p.m ET
Boston odds-334
Milwaukee odds +300
Boston spread -4.5 -228
Milwaukee spread +4.5 +175

If Boston isn’t able to get into top form while both Dame and Giannis play, they may be in some serious trouble. Jrue is key to locking down Dame on the perimeter, as you really want to slow down their offence before Giannis can get to his spot. Plain and simple, Kristaps Porziņģis doesn’t have the physicality to deal with the Greek Freak down low.

That being said, Khris Middleton also won’t be able to stop Jayson Tatum by any means, which could lead to a pretty high-scoring night.

All in all, we’re leaning toward Milwaukee for this one, only because of the injuries Boston is currently struggling with. If both rosters were healthy, the Celtics would probably have the advantage.

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction

As we mentioned, if both teams were healthy, we would have to go with the Boston Celtics, but that’s not the situation here. Considering Holiday and Brown are two major pieces for Boston, it’ll be hard for them to play at the same pace as usual, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The duo of Dame and Giannis should be more than enough to punch a hole clean through Boston’s defence. Lillard has been averaging over 10 assists per game over the last 10 games, while Giannis has been putting up 31 points a night over the same stretch.

The team isn’t unstoppable by any means, taking some L’s from teams they really should beat, but they still have the ability to beat any team on any given night.

On the Celtic’s side of things, again, they still have Porziņģis and Tatum, which is more than enough to deal with most NBA teams, it’s just that their matchups on Wednesday are less than ideal.

Tatum will easily put up a solid 25 points, but he hasn’t really shown the ability to put the team on his back when it’s crunch time. Tatum has absolutely no holes in his game, but he isn’t a 50 points in game 7 of the finals player like Giannis.

Again, Giannis is going to tear straight through Porziņģis in both transition and the half-court which will leave a lot on Tatums shoulders. Derrick White is also probably going to struggle to keep Lillard in front of him all night, as he’s gotta be aware of deep threes and potential dimes tossed down low.

Without an all-star defender like Holiday it’s nearly impossible to slow down Dame – just ask any guard in the league.

There’s a good chance this is going to be one of the better games this week. It’s just a shame both rosters aren’t in tip top shape. Boston will likely keep the game close through three quarters, but after everything is all said and done, we’ve gotta give it to the Bucks.

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Player Pick 

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on absolute tear over the last 10 games, averaging 31.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists, easily surpassing 30 points plenty of times. He even dropped 46 against the Chicago Bulls a couple of games ago.

The Greek Freak’s unparalleled athleticism, paired with his ability to finish at the rim with authority, means he will have no issues putting up at least 30 against the Celtics.

In transition, there’s nobody in the league able to handle his quick euro-step, and in the half-court, he’s bigger and stronger than Porziņģis, which will lead to plenty of putbacks and bully ball buckets.

The Greek Freak has also been known to simply put the team on his back when it really comes down to it. Seeing Giannis score 10 baskets in a row isn’t unheard of by any means for Bucks fans.

Giannis will also likely be on his A-game against the Celtics, as they are the Bucks’ main adversaries coming out of the East. Furthermore, he has scored at least 30 points in seven of his last 10 games. Putting up 30 points is a normal night for Giannis; it’s not anything special.

Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.

More analytics on NBA:

More analytics on betting:

Cookie Notice

This site uses cookies. Find out more about use of cookies in our privacy policy.

Cookie Policy