The Milwaukee Bucks get one more crack at the Boston Celtics this season on Friday night after dropping their first two meetings to the reigning NBA champions, although oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook aren't of the belief that a victory is in store after listing Milwaukee as the 6.5-point betting underdogs on the road.
Here's a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick for this Eastern Conference matchup at TD Garden on December 6, 2024.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds
Preview: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics, 7 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | +6.5 (-110) | +220 | O 231 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | -6.5 (-110) | -270 | U 231 (-110) |
Odds as of December 6, 2024 at FanDuel
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Expert Picks
Boston Celtics ATS -6.5 (-110)
The Celtics are a perfect 2-0 SU in 2024-25 against Milwaukee, prevailing by 11 points at home on Oct. 28 and then winning again less than two weeks later at Fiserv Forum by six.
That initial victory was a rare cover at home this season for Boston, as it's just 4-7 ATS in its backyard. Two of those covers came in the team's first two games of the campaign, and since then, it's just 2-7 ATS with two losses during that stretch SU. The Bucks, on the other hand, aren't much better covering on the road at just 4-5 ATS, although they've at least covered successfully in their last two away games.
Milwaukee just had its seven-game winning streak SU snapped by the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but across those seven wins, only one came against a team currently owning a record above the .500 mark. Boston is by far its toughest test in quite a while, and one the Bucks simply won't be able to handle.
The Celtics already own the No. 2 offense in basketball (120.7 points per 100 possessions), and it only gets stronger competing at home (122.1 points per 100 possessions). Jayson Tatum (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (injury management) are both currently listed as questionable, but we just witnessed Boston drop 130 points on the Detroit Pistons sans Tatum with the Pistons' defense being on par with that of Milwaukee's. Even with their humdrum record against the spread, anticipate the Celtics to cover and move to a perfect 3-0 SU versus the Bucks.
UNDER 231 Total Points (-110)
We've already seen a pair of UNDERs connect this season, albeit in two high-scoring games which hit 220 and 227 total points.
Both of those numbers would still reach an UNDER on Friday with the total set at 231 points, and should any combination of Tatum or Porzingis be sidelined, that would make an UNDER wager even more appealing.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Player Prop
Damian Lillard UNDER 3.5 Made 3-Pointers (-125)
Even though Lillard is riding a wave of six-straight games with three or more makes from behind the arc, including three in a row with exactly five, Boston is one of the stronger teams defending the 3-point line across the league, and Lillard has struggled against the green and white this season.
He's a combined 3-of-16 from the perimeter through two games versus the Celtics, and reached an UNDER in three of Milwaukee's four outings against them last season.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Trends
- Jaylen Brown has failed to exceed 36.5 points + rebounds + assists in four of his last five games vs. top-10 defenses for assists allowed (31.2 points + rebounds + assists/game average).
- Brook Lopez has exceeded 0.5 turnovers in four of his last five games on the road (one turnover/game average).
- Andre Jackson Jr. has failed to exceed 6.5 points + rebounds in 15 of his last 19 games vs. top-10 defenses for points allowed (4.2 points + rebounds/game average).
*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier
