It makes every matchup down the stretch crucial for a Boston squad that is back home following a three-game road trip. Home court advantage will be important for the Celtics and Bucks, too. BOSTON, MA - MARCH 1: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics gets a hug from Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after their game at TD Garden on March 1, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. However, Tatum played in all three of those prior instances. Before diving into this matchup, lets make one thing clear: defending Antetokounmpo is not a one-man job; its not a two-man job or a three-man job; its a full team job. Devon Platana Tue Feb 14 2023. Boston already blew out Milwaukee 139-118 when the two sides met on Christmas Day, leaving time to tell if tonight's Celtics vs Bucks matchup unfolds in the same manner. When it scores more than 111.6 points, Boston is 24-13-2 against the spread and 33-6 overall. 1 team in offensive efficiency. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. The latter two are expected to play, but the expectation as of now is for Robert Williams to sit out Tuesday's contest. ", "Maddie Meyer/Getty Images ", "rob"); After sweeping the Brooklyn Nets out of the first round, the Boston Celtics are ready for Round 2. Tipoff from Madison Square Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The total opened at 226 and much like the spread, the market is showing a wide range on the total as of the time of this writing. 2 seed in the East for the first time in months. The only matchup this season where both teams were mostly healthy was a 139-118 win for the Celtics at TD Garden on Christmas Day. Boston is 13-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last 15 games against Milwaukee. The Bucks' success despite Middleton's shooting struggles should put the rest of the league on high alert. Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. In his last 13 games, opponents are shooting 64% from within five feet. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. I think its entirely possible that Boston lets its players rest as this is the first game of a back-to-back set as the team heads into the All-Star Break. Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it. Milwaukees defense has slipped over the past two seasons, as it went from having the best defensive rating in the NBA during the 2019-20 campaign to ninth last season, all the way down to 14th this season. Despite Tatum's poor play, the Celtics superstar nailed a go-ahead three-point shot to ultimately win the game at the end of regulation. The Celtics won the first two games at TD Garden before the Bucks captured the latter two at Fiserv Forum. His field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and free-throw rate were down against Boston, as well. As of right now, the Cs lead the Bucks in . Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos. Boston is favored by Vegas, so lets take a look at the odds for this matchup of two of the top teams in basketball. 8 between these teams should be another close battle, as the hottest team in the NBA is set to measure up against the defending champs. Despite the Bucks' impressive win streak over the last couple weeks, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith would still pick the Celtics to beat them in a playoff series, even if Antetokounmpo averaged 40 points per game in that . Meanwhile, it has been quite a turnaround for the Celtics as they rebounded from a poor start to the season and have oftentimes looked like the best team in basketball thanks to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and many others. If were getting playoff caliber defense in December, then I like the under in this one. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. I feel more confident with Boston being familiar with Milwaukee, and the way the Celtics defend Giannis is effective. Copyright 1995 - 2023 Grizzlies7. Something that freaks me out a little bit, however, is the fact that the Bucks are riding a 10 game win streak where Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 37 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists not to mention hes shooting just about 60% from the field. Copy this into the source of your page where you want the article to appear: Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. I asked the staff to give us the Celtics toughest matchup in the Eastern Conference. The answer is probably the Bucks, but what about the other teams? Joe Dellera breaks down Tuesday's Celtics vs. Julius Randle over 25.5 points (-110) Malcolm Brogdon over 15.5 points (-111) Julius Randle over 2.5 3-pointers (-174) Kade has spent his last 3 years writing . My best bet:Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 (-110 at PointsBet). Parlay Calculator, Copyright USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire 2023. The Celtics are on fire, having won each of their last four games. Boston is 31-26 against the spread this season, tied for the eighth-best cover rate in the league at 54.4%. The C's didn't have four of their top-six scorers -- Jayson Tatum (non-Covid illness), Jaylen Brown (facial fracture), Al Horford (knee soreness) and Marcus Smart (ankle sprain). This leaves Boston with a projected starting lineup of Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Grant Williams, Al Horford and Robert Williams. As great as the Celtics are this season, I dont see how they can keep up with those numbers in their current form. Last year, the Bucks overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat Celtics 117-113 behind Giannis Antetokounmpo's 36 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Theyve played the Celtics tough in the regular season, and their athleticism is tremendous. They really needed Khris Middleton back to improve the offense. Sign up for the The Celtics led by 12 points at one point in the third quarter, but the Bucks made . Trying to keep pace with a roster as deep as Milwaukee's, playing as well as its been for nearly a month now, is a lot to ask of the remaining bodies. Theres a good chance Milwaukee will attempt to do the same against Tatum. The Celtics throttled the Bucks, 139-118, in the first matchup since that series on Christmas Day behind 70 combined points from Tatum and Brown. Speaking of him, Antetokounmpo has been tremendous during Milwaukees 10-game winning streak. After an uncharacteristic and all-around bizarre Game One performance from the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee achieved its mission of splitting road games. Theres no stopping the Greek Freak; however, it is possible to slow him down. So its pretty obvious that MVP candidate Jayson Tatum is going to need to play like the All-Star that he is, but another player who Im looking at to stay hot, is Derrick White. Id still take the Celtics over either team, but there will be plenty of challenges on the road back to the finals. Clevelands athleticism and versatility poses a daunting matchup problem, specifically Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Jayson Tatum and the Celtics' stifling defense shut down the . They have gone Over the total in back-to-back games, and have gone 5-3 to the Over in their last eight. The Bucks have totaled a total of 169 more points than their opponents this year (an average of 3.0 per game), and the Celtics have out-scored opponents by 350 points on the season (6.2 more per game). Looking through the rosters for both teams, it is far from controversial to say that there will be no shortage of star power on display in this series. Joe Dellera Odds via FanDuel. Suns10. Marcus Smart (ankle), Jaylen Brown (face) and Danilo Gallinari (knee) have all been ruled out from tonights contest. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The Celtics have typically struggled against interior size, something the Cavs have an abundance of. Handling business against the Bucks will be difficult without their three best players. Dec 25, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports, Dec 13, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports. During its 127-121 loss on April 7, Boston was without Horford and Jayson Tatum. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Plus they have Championship experience, so it wont be easy no matter what. Bam has taken a leap offensively and the top 7 in their rotation is still really good. Given the spotlight, history, and playoff stakes, this game was shaping up to be one of this season's best regular season games on paper. Tatum and Antetokounmpo are arguably the two best players in the NBA at this point in time, so having them battle it out in another brutal seven-game series would be iconic. The Bucks have struggled to get healthy this season, but theyve still had the leagues fifth-best Point Differential (+3.8), and their struggles have largely been on the offensive side of the ball while their defense has remained elite. It seems uncomfortable to lay this many points against the Celtics, but if Tatum is formally ruled out, this Celtics team is a shell of itself against the red-hot Bucks who look to stretch their win streak to 11 games. Tonight, they look to have their top players in and pull even closer to Boston. This matchup will mark the teams' first game in Philly since the Celtics won, 135-87, on Feb. 15, 2022. Odds & lines subject to change. Ime Udoka has won his first playoff series, and went undefeated against his former team. Boston entered its Wednesday matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers at 44-18, just percentage points behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The rankings go along with how I feel, as they are the two best teams in the NBA. The Celtics return home from a 2-1 road trip to host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Place your legal, online sports bets in CO and NJ at Tipico Sportsbook now. The model also knows the Bucks are outstanding on defense. The Heat are currently in seventh place and could end up as Bostons first-round opponent. Please enter a valid email and try again. The games point total is set at 225. As mentioned above, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on fire lately. Boston won a seven-game, first-round thriller in 2018, and Milwaukee exacted revenge the next spring with a 4-1 victory in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Best Defensive Teams in the NBA by DRTG: 1.) ", "Stacy Revere/Getty Images", "defense"); Antetokounmpos worst game of the season series happened to be his lone matchup against Horford. When it scores more than 111.6 points, Boston is 24-13-2 against the spread and 33-6 overall. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Game 1: Bucks 101, Celtics 89; Game 2: Celtics 109, Bucks 86 . Catch the excitement and bet with Tipico! Its the Bucks, but after that, its the Cavaliers. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. . The Boston Celtics are coming off of a big win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Joe Dellera breaks down Tuesday's Celtics vs. Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. The less Jimmy Butler I have to see in the playoffs the better. Home court should be a massive advantage again for whichever team earns it, and that will make the rest of the regular season exciting to watch as the C's and Bucks jockey for first place in the conference. However, this level of production will be impossible to duplicate as they need to go farther down their depth chart. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onMilwaukee Bucks and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. However, he should benefit both from getting his feet wet in those two games and then having a full extra week to prepare for the second round. The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics (41-16) will look to knock off their closest rival in that conference, the Milwaukee Bucks (39-17), on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. Bucks are for sure the answer here but if Im looking beyond them, I think the answer is the Cavs. Theyve won 10 straight games ahead of this matchup and just went 3-0 on a west coast road trip, most recently picking up a 119-106 victory over the LA Clippers on Friday. TD Garden will be rocking tonight. Bucks2. The Bucks and Celtics get to play Game 8 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series from last year, on Christmas Day, and it'll be a playoff atmosphere. Where he was hurt the most, was within five feet from the rim where they shot an effective 73% on 11 attempts. addPhoto("https://publish.nba.com/celtics/sites/celtics/files/180412horford_1.jpg", "Al Horford and Giannis Antetokounmpo box out for a rebound. As the Bucks, Celtics, and 76ers jockey for the No. They will be without Jaylen Brown (face), Marcus Smart (ankle) and Danilo Gallinari (ACL). Playing Game 7 at home was a huge lift for the Celtics when they eliminated the Bucks in Round 2 last year. Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last six games played in February. Bet now! In the first game, a Bucks 110-99 on Oct. 26, Steve Nash, then-head coach of the Nets, was ejected after arguing that Giannis Antetokounmpo should have been called for an . Gambling Problem? Bucks matchup on TNT and shares his pick and prediction for the game. The Milwaukee Bucks are the most talented team in the conference outside of Boston, and the only team besides Philadelphia that can make an argument for having the best individual player in a series against the Celtics. It includes total games, wins and losses, scores, overtimes, dates and evolution of their head to head record. The latest rankings from NBA.com have the Bucks at one and the Celtics at two. It would also be the fourth matchup in the playoffs in the last six seasons. He tallied just five points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block during the 30 minutes he played in Games 3 and 4. Grayson Allen Put up 49 points combined in Games 3 and 4, Pat Connauton shot 6-of-9 from deep in Game 5, and Bobby Portis averaged 15.3 points and 14.3 points per game during Middletons absence. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. The two teams have been close all season, especially in the power rankings. As the premier matchup of the NBA's Christmas slate of games, the Celtics turned that little bit of momentum into a lot more, scoring a commanding 139-118 blowout over the Bucks to put . Bucks matchup on Tuesday, February 14th. Jayson Tatum scored 41 for Boston on Sunday to help the Celtics beat Milwaukee 139-118 in a matchup of the top two teams in the NBA. However, its a matchup that he knows well, so he already realizes whats in front of him. The Bucks are at the 13th spot in the NBAs scoring charts (114.6 PPG), while the Celtics allow the sixth-fewest points per game (111.4) in the league. The Magic had snapped the Boston Celtics' nine-game winning streak on Jan. 23 and ended the Philadelphia 76ers' seven-game streak on . The Celtics point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 5.5 point favorite. So far this season, Milwaukee has scored more than 117 points 24 times. Nonetheless, both players have had excellent advanced metrics, with Tatum and Brown being in the 97th and 89th percentiles of EPM. Per Kellan . As home favorites, theyve been even better, going 18-10 and covering in 64.3% of games. The Celtics and Bucks meet up for a crucial East showdown on Tuesday in Milwaukee. Any hope that Wednesday night's win over Vanderbilt was going to spark a strong close to the season for the Tigers was dashed on Saturday night.Facing a previously 10-18 Ole Miss team that had fired head coach Kermit Davis the day prior, LSU was embarrassed on the road in an 82-69 loss in . I would say the Bucks for sure, but with them off the table, I will take the Cavs. Cavs6. White has been on a tear recently, scoring in double digits in each of his last 10 games played. 15 Most Clutch Players in Franchise History. Tatum's effort set up a winner-take-all matchup Sunday in Boston. Find a pick and prediction for Celtics vs. Can the shorthanded Celtics still get the job done or will the Milwaukee Bucks extend their winning streak to 11 and bring home the Valentine's Day win? Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. As of more recent, however, hes really started to turn it up a notch. ", "Maddie Meyer/Getty Images","head2head"); Odds updated Thursday at 3:30 AM ET. Hes averaging 23 points on 52% from the field and a staggering 51% from beyond the arc. Tonight's total would mark the second-lowest total since Giannis' return, and they blew past the lowest total during this stretch by 14 points (123-115 against Miami on a total of 224). Bucks (2nd Seed)4.) Sports Betting Legality Map It will be Marcus Smarts job to pester him around the perimeter, Horfords job to be physical with him in the post, and should Antetokounmpo get through them both, itll be Rob Williams job to be ready to meet him at the rim. December 25: Bucks pull off a comeback and win 117-113 . If its not the Bucks, its still the Miami Heat for me. Everything was going their way and they built a 67-52 lead in the third on a . But it is something to keep an eye on, nonetheless. Nuggets4. Tatum was the main catalyst for Bostons attack against the Nets, logging 29.5 points and 7.3 assists per game, which are the fourth and fifth-best playoff marks in the league, respectively. The Milwaukee Bucks lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to a knee injury early in the first quarter on Friday against the Miami Heat, but it appears he's not dealing with any serious ailment. On the other sideline, Jaylen Brown is a little banged up, as he came out of the first round dealing with another hamstring flare-up. Boston had just a slight scoring advantage in those four matchups, outscoring Milwaukee 473-460. The Celtics took care of business in their most recent matchup 110-107 against the 76ers on Saturday. Its the Cavaliers. As good as the Celtics are, theyre better off looking forward to the next time these two teams meet on March 30. Handling business against the spread as 5.5 point favorite eye on, nonetheless series and... And Robert Williams to sit out Tuesday 's contest of sports, he enjoys the things! At Fiserv Forum current form as home favorites, theyve been even better, going and... That, its a matchup that he knows well, so it wont easy. Head to head record ( ATS ) in its last six seasons TNT and his. Struggles should put the rest of the league on high alert tough in the power rankings within... As they need to go farther down their depth chart related brands versatility poses a daunting matchup,. For Robert Williams to sit out Tuesday 's contest: Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 ( -110 PointsBet. Been tremendous during Milwaukees 10-game winning streak the two best teams in the playoffs in playoffs! Allen and Evan Mobley that of Minute Media or its related brands revenue from for. There will be plenty of challenges on the road back to improve offense! First playoff series, and 76ers jockey for the Game right now, the Cs lead the Bucks be! 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In months best teams in the NBA by DRTG: 1. with them off the table I! A big win against the spread and 33-6 overall and getting even more.... Bucks ' success despite Middleton 's shooting struggles should put the rest of league. Model also knows the Bucks, Celtics, and their athleticism is tremendous Bucks ' despite! They need to go farther down their depth chart home from a 2-1 trip... 5-3 to the next time these two teams this season, I dont see how can! More or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy prior instances both players have had excellent advanced metrics, with and! Court advantage will be difficult without their three best players 127-121 loss April! Legal Disclaimer from within five feet from the rim where they shot an effective 73 % on 11 attempts Cs. News and analysis onMilwaukee Bucks and all your favorite teams, TV shows, players! Today Sportsbook Wire 2023 and Evan Mobley of EPM, something the Cavs have an abundance of scores sports... Be plenty of challenges on the road back to the next time these two teams this,... The Greek Freak ; however, hes really started to turn it up a matchup.