NBA Betting – Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks

With the return of the NBA we get to type the name Antetokounmpo in every article relating to the Milwaukee Bucks, and even some that don’t. The MVP front-runner leads his squad back on the court Saturday against the Boston Celtics after the Bucks posted a league-best 53-12 ledger before the shutdown. It’s hard to be consistently good with so many talented teams and the Bucks hit their pothole losing four of their last five games before the hiatus, including the last three for the first time under Mike Budenholzer. The teams split two games with each winning at home. The rubber game comes on a neutral floor inside the Florida bubble and is their only meeting in the seeding games.  Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (maximum bonus is $1000)

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Date and Time: Friday, July 31, 2020, 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Kissimmee, FL
Opening NBA Odds: Bucks -5, O/U 218.5
Celtics vs. Bucks TV Coverage: ESPN

Odds Analysis

One thing the bubble does is take away any home court advantage. The Bucks closed the pre-COVID part of the schedule with the best home record in the Association at 28-3. They weren’t too shabby on the road, either. In order to win 81.5 percent of your games doing damage on the road is required. For bookkeeping purposes this is Milwaukee’s ‘home’ game, but everyone is home in the bubble. Not only did the Bucks win games, they won most of them by a lot. Their average of 11.2 points was nearly double that of any team in the East.

Milwaukee hit the board as a 5-point favorite, which isn’t too alarming. However, the Celtics held their own splitting two earlier meetings while covering both times. The Cs won by 11 at the Garden and fell by five in Milwaukee as an 11-point dog.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics entered the shutdown with a solid 43-21 record and a stranglehold on third-place in the conference. Like the Bucks they are balanced and deep, and they’ve become a trendy pick to escape the East. The ringleader is Jaysom Tatum, one of three players to average more than 20 points per game. Tatum leads the club with 23.6 PPG and is second to Enes Kanter with 7.1 rebounds per outing.

Along with Jaylen Brown the Celtics have two of the top young players in the league. Brown blossomed this season as well with a career-best 20.4 points per night hitting 49 percent of his field goal attempts. In between those two is veteran Kemba Walker, who helped everyone in Beantown forget about Kyrie Irving. Walker is expected to be ready for action after dealing with a knee issue. He averaged 21.2 points in 50 games prior to the shutdown.

The Celtics aren’t far behind Milwaukee in the stat categories. The Cs ranked seventh in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency before the break. Their balance was profitable at the betting window with a 38-23-3 ATS record, second-best in the NBA. The teams are more evenly-matched than the records indicate making the Celtics an inviting bet.

Milwaukee Bucks

Having the reigning MVP gives Milwaukee an edge, but the Bucks aren’t all about Giannis. One player isn’t going to win a game on his own and unless the rules changed inside the bubble there will still be five players per team on the court. Antetokounmpo is one player who can do it all, which is why the he’s likely to win another MVP. Averaging 29.6 points and 13.7 rebounds he ranks third in both categories.

Team depth was shaken when Eric Bledsoe and Pat Connaughton tested positive for the coronavirus, delaying their arrival to the bubble. Bledsoe cleared quarantine and resumed practicing while Connaughton is questionable. In 56 games Bledsoe averaged 15.4 points and 5.4 assists. It remains to be seen how effective they’ll be and how long they stay on the floor if they do play.

With Khris Middleton dropping 21.1 points per game the Bucks are pretty good offensively. They lead the league in scoring, make the highest percentage of 2-point baskets, and take and make a bunch of triples. Nobody talks about their prowess on the other end of the floor. Their 101.6 defensive rating was easily the best in the NBA. The question now is can the Bucks regain the momentum from an impressive run before the shutdown?

Bet Celtics vs. Bucks at BookMaker.eu

It’s hard to bet against the Bucks considering how good they were before the shutdown. These are different times, though. Budenholzer kept his team ready for a restart even when things looked bleak. And the Bucks are motivated to win. I can see Milwaukee winning, however the series was close and Boston’s depth makes taking the points a smart play.

NBA Score Prediction: Milwaukee 109, Boston 105

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com