Two teams trending in opposite directions will do battle on Sunday afternoon when the Milwaukee Bucks (18-28) travel to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (30-18) at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Bucks are in turmoil, with speculation and rumors flying about the face of their franchise, PF Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Celtics, meanwhile, have been one of the true surprises of the NBA season. Projected by many to be a lower seed in the East, they're currently tied for second place in the conference, led by MVP candidate SF Jaylen Brown.
Below, we’ll break down our Bucks vs. Celtics prediction and Sunday picks for PrizePicks. Use PrizePicks NBA to make picks on player projections and win real money if you’re right.
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Bucks vs. Celtics Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Bucks could be in for years of rebuilding, as the best player in franchise history may be heading for greener pastures sooner rather than later. Antetokounmpo is out with a calf injury, which the team has no reason to take risks with.
Even with him in the lineup, this season has been one long skid. Now, Milwaukee is on a four-game losing streak and has lost eight of their last 10 games. The Celtics, on the other hand, just won’t falter.
Following F Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles in the playoffs, most expected this to be a lost season for the C’s. Led by Brown and Coach of the Year candidate Joe Mazzulla, this Celtics team has somehow overcome that injury and battled for a top-three seed in the East.
PrizePicks Team Picks has a market on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s next team. "No” on whether he stays in Milwaukee or retires is currently returning a 1.96x payout. On the other side, Jaylen Brown to win MVP currently returns a 22.22x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Bucks vs. Celtics Over/Under, Spread
The Celtics enter Sunday's game as 13.5-point home favorites, returning a 1.12 on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Bucks are road underdogs with a 5.55x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Boston Celtics -13.5 (1.85x payout)
- Over/Under: 217.5 (1.85x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Bucks 5.55x | Celtics 1.12x
Team Picks payouts are live as of writing and are subject to change.
Bucks vs. Celtics Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Bucks vs. Celtics injury report for Sunday, via NBA.com.
Bucks Injury Report
- PF Giannis Antetokounmpo (Calf): OUT
- SG Gary Harris (Hamstring): Probable
- PG Kevin Porter Jr. (Oblique): OUT
- SF Taurean Prince (Neck): OUT
Celtics Injury Report
- SF Jayson Tatum (Achilles): OUT
- C Amari Williams (G League/Two Way): Questionable
Bucks vs. Celtics Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to get you prepared for Bucks vs. Celtics today.
- Boston is 26-22-0 (54.2%) against the spread (ATS) this season, the ninth-best record in the NBA.
- Milwaukee is 19-27-0 (41.3%) ATS, fifth-worst.
- According to NBA.com, the Celtics have the second-best offensive rating at 120.7.
- As mentioned above, the Bucks are 2-8 over their last 10 games, and their defense has been the primary culprit. In that stretch, they have the fourth-worst defensive rating at 119.2.
Bucks vs. Celtics Picks for PrizePicks Today: Sunday, February 1
Here are two of the top Bucks vs. Celtics picks to consider for PrizePicks today. Player projections via the PrizePicks real-money NBA game.
Celtics SF Jaylen Brown vs. Bucks Projection: 41 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Brown is averaging 41.1 combined points, rebounds, and assists this season and 41.7 PRA in the month of January.
- The Bucks' defense allows opponents to average 45 rebounds per game (19th).
- Jaylen Brown averages 5.6 defensive rebounds per contest as opposed to 1.2 offensive rebounds; the Bucks are allowing the seventh-most defensive rebounds on average at 33.9.
- The Bucks yield 27.1 assists per game, the 11th-highest mark in the NBA.
- JB averages .5 rebounds and .3 assists more per game at home vs. on the road.
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Celtics SG Derrick White vs. Bucks Projection: 2.5 3-PT Made
- White averages 2.8 3-pointers made on 8.8 attempts.
- Over his last three seasons, White shoots roughly 38.5% from 3; this season, he is shooting just 32.2%. That percentage may regress to his norm in the future.
- The Bucks' defense is a great matchup for that potential regression to start. They allow the ninth-most 3-point attempts per game (38.2) and the seventh-highest 3-point percentage (36.7%).
- White shoots much better at home, averaging 3.1 3’s per game vs. 2.6 on the road. He shoots 36% from deep at home but just 28.5% away from TD Garden.
Make Bucks vs. Celtics Picks on PrizePicks
Opposites attract in Boston this Sunday afternoon, with the rising Celtics playing host to the free-falling Bucks. Celtics vs. Bucks picks aren’t the only way hoops fans can get in on the daily NBA action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 30 states.
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