Bucks Primed to Knock Off Celtics as Road Favorite in Opener

The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics both fell short in their quest to reach the NBA Finals – and they’ll want to make immediate amends Wednesday as the Eastern Conference powers face off at TD Garden. The Bucks are the Sportsbooks’ favorite to reach the championship after getting bounced in the second round last season. They’ll tangle with a Celtics team that lost to Miami in the conference final.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Bucks opened at -2, but the majority of sportsbooks have moved this line to either -3 or -3.5. The total has seen a 1-point dip after Sportsbook at 226.

Milwaukee News & Notes

With the sting of that second-round loss to the Heat officially behind them, the Bucks are primed for an even deeper run in 2020-21 as they look to cash in on their +550 championship odds. They’ll be led by sensational forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who signed a supermax contract extension this month and will hope to build upon a ridiculous 2019-20 stat line (29.5 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 5.6 apg).

He’ll have plenty of help at both ends of the court, which is what makes the Bucks a trendy choice to reach the NBA Finals. Khris Middleton (20.9 ppg) is back as the team’s No. 2 scoring option, while the Bucks swapped starting point guards. Out is Eric Bledsoe and in is Jrue Holiday, who filled the stat sheet with 19.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 61 games with New Orleans last season.

Boston News & Notes

Is confidence in the Celtics eroding? Boston is now the No. 3 or No. 4 choice to win the East at the majority of sportsbooks, behind Milwaukee and Brooklyn and neck and neck with Philadelphia and Miami. ESPN’s crew of basketball experts are even more bearish on the 2020-21 edition of the Celtics, with only five of 15 analysts picking them to even reach the conference final.

Getting off to a good start in this one would be a great start and that onus will likely fall on forward Jayson Tatum. The third-year Duke product broke out in a major way last season with 23.4 points per game (nearly eight points more than his previous career high) and 7.0 rebounds. He took his game even higher in the postseason, averaging 25.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in 17 playoff games.

Betting Pick: Bucks -3 (-110)

Whether your sportsbook is offering -3 or -3.5, Milwaukee is the superior play here. With the majority of its core returning and Giannis the best all-around player on the planet, the Bucks have a built-in edge.