For the second time this season, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics will be going head-to-head at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Celtics march into this game on a four-game winning streak while the Bucks have lost their previous five. Which team will come out on top tonight? Will Boston stay hot? Or will Milwaukee finally stop the bleeding?
[sc:NBA250 ]Read on further for a detailed look at this Eastern Conference showdown. If you’re yearning for more NBA action, check out our other previews: Wizards vs. Knicks and Rockets vs. Warriors.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Boston Celtics (-4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (+4); total: 208.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: CSNE, FSWI
Betting on the Boston Celtics (31-22)
[sc:NBA250 ]It’s a very good time to be a Boston faithful right now. The Celtics have been on a rampage lately, winning nine of their previous 10 and four in a row heading into this matchup versus the Milwaukee Bucks. As a result, the Celtics have catapulted themselves into the third spot of the Eastern Conference and are just 4.5-games behind the Raptors in their division title race.
Their All-Star point guard in Isaiah Thomas is one of the major reasons for this on-going success. He’s done a marvelous job in balancing his role with Boston this season, averaging team-bests of 21.4 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 41.9% from field.
Furthermore, Thomas should be able to have another big-time performance against the Bucks tonight. He’s posting 17.4 points on 47.1 shooting across nine career games in this matchup. Thomas also scored 20 points on 6-0f-20 shooting during their first encounter with Milwaukee this season.
Apart from Thomas, the pair of Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder gives the Celtics more firepower and energy. Bradley, in particular, is the second-leading scorer on the team at 15 PPG and is coming off a 25-point outburst against Sacramento last Sunday.
Crowder, on the other hand, has established his presence in various ways. He’s averaging 14.0 points along with 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 dimes and 1.8 steals per contest this year. But Crowder’s has been limited to just nine points in the past two games and it’ll be interesting to see if he can finally find the mark later opposite a shaky Milwaukee defense (102.9 points allowed per contest).
Boston is 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 home games.
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Betting on the Milwaukee Bucks (20-32)
Meanwhile, Milwaukee won’t be walking into this match with a smile on its face. In fact, it’s safe to expect a little bit of desperation from the Bucks’ efforts later as they have fallen short in their previous five contests. That stretch includes a 20-point loss to the Grizzlies on January 28, during which the Bucks shot 36.7% collectively from the field.
Well, what’s done is done and Milwaukee ought to focus on getting back on track versus the visiting Boston Celtics. The best way to do so would be to slow down the tempo of the game by pounding the ball inside to their center in Greg Monroe, who already has 26 double-doubles this season.
Monroe, the former Pistons big man, has scored in double-figures in his last 14 games and is averaging 19.9 points along with 9.8 boards during that span. He should be able to put up his usual numbers opposite Boston’s shaky inside defense that is allowing 41.4 points in the paint.
If things don’t work out well down low, the Bucks can always resort to the outside shooting of Khris Middleton and the versatility of Giannis Antetokounmpo to help them win this game.
Middleton leads the team in scoring with 17.7 points and is shooting 40.9 percent from three-point territory. Antetokounmpo, on the other hand, is contributing 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and one block in his past four contests.
Ultimately though, defense remains to be the key for the Bucks in this bout. They haven’t done a good job at this end of the floor, surrendering 102.4 points in their current losing streak.
Milwaukee is 6-4 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in its last 10 at home.
Writer’s Prediction
Milwaukee (+4) finally stops the bleeding with a strong 105-95. Create a betting account now and create a winning NBA parlay.
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