The Boston Celtics (51-25) and Milwaukee Bucks (30-46) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The game will broadcast live on NBCS-BOS.
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 -1800 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Milwaukee is +1000 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, Picks
- Celtics vs Bucks picks: Bucks +17.5 (-110), Over 217.5 (-105)
My Bucks vs. Celtics best bets are on Milwaukee to cover the spread (+17.5) 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 -112 | 217.5 -105o / -115u | -1800 |
| Bucks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -108 | 217.5 -105o / -115u | +1000 |
Current odds: CEL 93% · BUC 8% · NBA
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Celtics vs Bucks NBA 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 Predictions, Betting Analysis
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 Bets Bets
- Bucks +17.5 (-110)
- Over 217.5 (-105)
