The Boston Celtics (51-25) and Milwaukee Bucks (30-46) will meet in the NBA this Friday. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Celtics are 17.5-point favorites over the Bucks on the spread (Celtics -17.5), with the over/under set at 217.5 total points. Boston is a -2500 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Milwaukee is +1200 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Celtics vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks for Friday, April 3.
Celtics vs Bucks Prediction
- Celtics vs Bucks picks: Bucks +17.5, Over 217.5
My Bucks vs. Celtics best bets are on Milwaukee to cover the spread and the game to go over 217.5 total points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Celtics vs Bucks Odds
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -114 | 217.5 -106o / -114u | -2500 |
| Bucks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -106 | 217.5 -106o / -114u | +1200 |
Current odds: CEL 93% · BUC 8% · NBA
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Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Preview
The Bucks are 2-2 ATS as underdogs of more than a 15-points. The Celtics are 3-3 ATS as a more than 12.5-point favorite.
This is largely a coin flip situation — but there are some signs of value pointing toward Milwaukee.
The market rating for this game with a standard 2.5-point homecourt advantage is only Celtics -14.9 per Inpredictable.com; I make it -13.9.
I do have a power rating model with homecourt adjustments that puts this at -19 — but that’s influenced by how bad the Bucks were against the spread when fully healthy, which they no longer are.
Celtics vs Bucks Betting Predictions
Bucks +17.5
The big key here is the pace. The Bucks rank 24th in pace; the Celtics rank 30th.
The low total on this game reflects the reality of the pace situation. I don’t think this number is far off, but maybe just a touch.
I’m not enthusiastic about this side, but I do think there’s value on Milwaukee at home with such a wide spread.
Over 217.5
The Celtics’ defense is legit, but the Bucks’ is not, and Milwaukee can shoot.
I like the Bucks on the spread — so predictably, I think they will score more than expected.
I have Milwaukee projected for 107 points, considerably more than their team total, and I project Boston slightly over as well.
We have seen this line move a point in the over’s direction since open, and it seems like a good hedge against the possibility of the Celtics hanging a huge number on a bad defense.
I am a bit concerned that the under has been good when the Bucks have faced good eFG% defenses (the under is 15-10 against top 10 eFG% defenses) and when Boston has faced top-10 eFG% offenses (the under is 17-8) — but, I just think this line is too low.
Celtics vs Bucks Picks
- Bucks +17.5 (-106)
- Over 217.5 (-106)
Celtics vs Bucks Betting Trends
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