Will the arrival of a new sharpshooter in Boston be enough to push the Celtics into a deep Eastern Conference playoff run? Hopes are high as the Celtics face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Boston (21-23 SU, 20-24 ATS) acquired Evan Fournier from Orlando at Thursday's trade deadline, though he'll sit out against a Bucks team (29-14 SU, 20-23 ATS) that has won eight straight.
- Date/Time: March 26, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Fiserv Forum
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Bucks -6 | O/U 233 (Line History)
- Celtics vs Bucks Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Milwaukee is a comfortable favorite here, having held steady at -6. The Sportsbook total of 233 has risen to either 233.5 or 234 depending on where you wager.
Boston News & Notes
The Celtics made a minor splash at Thursday's trade deadline, acquiring Fournier from the Orlando Magic for a pair of second-round picks. And while Boston had another deal fall through – it was interested in Fournier teammate Aaron Gordon, who ultimately wound up with the Denver Nuggets – the arrival of Fournier (19.7 ppg) should give Boston's bench scoring a significant shot in the arm.
Friday, however, the focus will be on improving on a poor defensive effort vs. Milwaukee on Wednesday, as Boston allowed the red-hot Bucks to shoot 50 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from three-point range. The Celtics will also need more out of sensational forward Jayson Tatum, who finished with just 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting in defeat.
Milwaukee News & Notes
The Bucks aren't afraid of the Celtics' 3-point shooting; they prevailed 121-119 Wednesday night despite allowing the visitors to shoot north of 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Milwaukee offense remains a force to be reckoned with, averaging an incredible 123 points over the length of its winning streak to raise its NBA-best mark to 120.0 points per game for the season.
While the offense is humming along at a title-winning pace, it isn't lost on the Bucks that the defense could use some work. That's a major reason why Milwaukee made a key move prior to the trade deadline, acquiring forward P.J. Tucker from the Houston Rockets. Tucker isn't much of a scorer but should make life difficult for opposing forwards while giving Milwaukee more depth.
Betting Pick: Bucks -6 (-110)
Boston might yet climb into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference, but it won't be at the expense of a Milwaukee team that is playing as well as any team in the league right now.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Celtics are 5-10 ATS in their last 15 games.
- The Bucks are 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games.
- The OVER is 6-1 in the Bucks' last 7 games.
