Oddsmakers at BetMGM have little faith in the Milwaukee Bucks when they take on the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on Monday night, listing Milwaukee as the staggering 9.5-point underdogs on the road.
Here's a look at all of the betting odds and expert picks for spread, moneyline, total, and player props for this Eastern Conference matchup.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds
Preview: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | +9.5 (-105) | +360 | O 234.5 (-105) |
| Boston Celtics | -9.5 (-115) | -500 | U 234.5 (-115) |
Odds as of October 28, 2024 at FanDuel
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Expert Picks
Milwaukee Bucks ATS +9.5 (-105), Boston Celtics ML (-500)
A 115-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday dropped the Bucks to 1-2 SU through their first three games, all of which have come without Khris Middleton in the lineup as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury. The team sits 23rd in the Association in defense by allowing 115.9 points per 100 possessions, having given up at least 124 points to both the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls who rank 23rd and 28th in offense, respectively.
The Celtics, meanwhile, lead all teams in offense at a monstrous 129 points per 100 possessions, scoring at least 122 points each game with two of their three victories coming by 20 or more points.
Milwaukee was only an underdog of nine or more points on three occasions last season and during the playoffs, losing SU all three times but covering the spread once competing against Boston in a 122-119 defeat without Giannis Antetokounmpo available. It was also an impressive 10-4 on no rest in 2023-24, but not having Middleton along with a porous defense makes an upset SU at TD Garden highly unlikely. On the basis of being prideful against a fellow contender, though, and how rare it is for the Bucks to be an underdog of this magnitude, let's give them the benefit of the doubt and anticipate a rebound performance to keep this score relatively even.
OVER 234.5 Total Points (-105)
The OVER has connected in 11 of the Celtics' last 16 games on their home floor, but when the point total is set at 234.5 points, the team went just 8-12 in the total market last season.
Three of the four outings between Milwaukee and Boston did go OVER last season, and all three marks were greater than the 234.5 points set by oddsmakers here. Since the Bucks don't seem particularly worried about stopping anyone lately, we'll side with the OVER here.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Player Prop
Bobby Portis OVER 22.5 Points + Rebounds (-118)
Bobby Portis has scored at least 10 points or grabbed at least 10 rebounds in each of his first three appearances, having done both in the loss to Brooklyn with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. The veteran forward has been a consistent presence off of the Bucks' bench and currently sits third on the team in scoring and second in rebounds, which helps draw us to this prop.
With the line at 22.5 points and rebounds for this combo prop, Portis only nailed the OVER at a 38.6-percent clip last season, but did so three times against Boston while averaging 17.8 points and 11 boards in the four games.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Trends
- The Bucks are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games versus opponents with a top-10 scoring defense.
- Jayson Tatum has failed to exceed 35.5 points + assists in 16 of his last 19 games at home (30.8 points + assists/game average).
- Brook Lopez has exceeded 5.5 rebounds + assists in four of his last givegames on the road (8.2 rebounds + assists/game average).
