Free Picks: Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Alex Murray
By: Alex Murray
12/24/2020
NBA Free Picks – Best Bets of the Week
Celtics vs Bucks NBA
Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, TD Garden

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics will start their seasons off with a showdown at TD Garden on Wednesday evening which will see two of the Eastern Conference’s top players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum going toe-to-toe. While the new-look Bucks surrounding Antetokounmpo make for a bit of a murky betting outlook, Tatum and the Celtics are offering a lot more clarity and value.

Jayson Tatum To Come Up Big In Season Opener

The Bucks fell as flat as an old beer in last year’s playoffs, losing to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in just five games in the second round. To convince their franchise player, Antetokounmpo, to stay in Milwaukee, they signed newcomers such as Jrue Holiday, DJ Augustin, Torrey Craig, and Bryn Forbes. If that list of new additions felt a little bit underwhelming to you, you’re not alone.

Many were surprised to see Antetokounmpo re-up with Milwaukee after that run of uninspiring free agent signings was kicked off by their complete and utter mishandling of a sign-and-trade that would have netted them burgeoning sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, who instead signed with the Atlanta Hawks. Because of all of this roster turnover, we feel it would be wise to avoid making any wagers on the Bucks until we can see whether or not this roster is gelling.

On the flip side, we’ve got two young guns in Tatum and Jaylen Brown looking to start their season off with a big upset despite the absence of Kemba Walker, who will be out yet some time with a knee injury. The one we want to focus on here is Tatum, who, at just 22 years old, looks like he should be entering the MVP conversation this season. Tatum had clearly made huge steps in his game when he showed up for the NBA bubble in July, and we expect his star to continue rising, starting with the season opener on Wednesday.

In 13 games where Brown and Tatum were in the lineup and Walker was not last season, Tatum put up 27.2 points per contest, nearly four more than his season average. Considering he’s continued to make strides since last season and his points prop is sitting at just 25.5, we consider the OVER here (though it does come at less-than-ideal –137 odds on 22Bet) against the Bucks to be a pretty safe bet.

Considering all of the movement, drama, and stress that has been surrounding the Bucks since their unceremonious playoff exit, the Celtics could be an interesting bet to win the game straight up at +124 odds on 22Bet. They’re playing at home, they will surely have more chemistry and rhythm than the Bucks (who have had the shortest offseason in history to get their new additions acclimated), and in Brown, Tatum, and resident pest Marcus Smart the C’s have exactly the kind of quick and long defenders that can swipe Giannis in the lane and force him and Milwaukee into a long, frustrating night.

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Jayson Tatum OVER 25.5 Points
-137
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Boston Celtics Moneyline
+124

Alex is an alumnus of Ryerson University's RTA Sport Media program, a contributing NHL, NBA, and MLB writer in the BetPicks.ca team. He has been writing on sports, betting, and fantasy contests for several years, including pitstops as an NFL Editor for theScore and as one of the lead NBA news writers for fantasy sports site FantasyPros. As a lifelong athlete, bettor, and sports fan, Alex is uniquely qualified to help you reach the sports betting success that you've always dreamed of and your wife never believed you could achieve.

NBA - East Standings

 

NBA LogoTeamWLPCT
1Heat5329.646
2Celtics5131.622
3Bucks5131.622
476ers5131.622
5Raptors4834.585
6Bulls4636.561
7Nets4438.537
8Hawks4339.524
9Cavaliers4438.537
10Hornets4339.524
11Knicks3745.451
12Wizards3547.427
13Pacers2557.305
14Pistons2359.280
15Magic2260.268

 

NBA - West Standings

 

NBA LogoTeamWLPCT
1Suns6418.780
2Grizzlies5626.683
3Warriors5329.646
4Mavericks5230.634
5Jazz4933.598
6Nuggets4834.585
7Wolves4636.561
8Pelicans3646.439
9Clippers4240.512
10Spurs3448.415
11Lakers3349.402
12Kings3052.366
13Blazers2755.329
14Thunder2458.293
15Rockets2062.244

 

NBA Key Dates

2021-2022 Season
Regular season beginsOctober 19
NBA All-Star 2022February 18-20
Regular season concludesApril 10
Play-In TournamentApril 12-1517
Playoffs beginApril 16
NBA Finals beginJune 2
Game 7 of NBA FinalsJune 19
NBA DraftJune 23