NBA Handicapping Predictions – Celtics vs Bucks
Milwaukee was one of the most active teams around the trade deadline. The Bucks got rid of the injured Andrew Bogut, but they picked up Monta Ellis.
NBA Basketball Matchup: Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
8:00 PM EST
NBA Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NBA Betting Favorite: Bucks -3.5
Over/Under: 200.5
Milwaukee has been playing some very good basketball of late. Boston made a fourth quarter charge to edge the Hawks Monday night, but the Celtics have been very inconsistent of late.
How will the new look Bucks fare against the veteran Celtics?
Boston has two days off leading into this game, but this will be their seventh straight game on the road. The Celtics are 3-3 on this road trip so far. Paul Pierce is the Celtics leading scorer at 18.3 points per game, but he is shooting just 42% from the floor.
Kevin Garnett’s numbers are actually slightly better than they were last year, and he has been the team’s most consistent player of late.
Rajon Rondo is still a double-double and even triple-double machine, but he is shooting more often than he has in the past. Ray Allen still strokes it at an impressive 46.5% from three-point range. Boston is near the very bottom of the league in rebounding margin. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Celtics give up only 90.6 points per game, which is third best in the NBA.
Scott Skiles committed his team to playing a faster tempo before the season, and the addition of Monta Ellis makes this an even better solution for this team. The Bucks offense has been firing on all cylinders of late. This is a team that is averaging 114 points per game in their last six contests.
The most impressive part of this offense has been their ball movement. Milwaukee racked up 33 and 35 assists in their last two wins at Golden State and Portland. Brandon Jennings and Ellis seem like a great backcourt combination.
Jennings leads the team in scoring at 18.8 points per game. Ersan Ilyasova is having a career year for the Bucks on the inside. Defensively, the Bucks allow 98.4 points per game.
Boston has been wildly inconsistent of late, and the Bucks are tough to bet against right now. I think this one stays close, but I like the Bucks offense to win it in the end.
Prediction: Milwaukee 103 Boston 100
