Bucks vs Celtics predictions, picks and odds for today’s NBA game

The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to bring the curtain down on the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was a distracted atmosphere in today’s matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Milwaukee has lost four in a row and will be without Giannis here again, so my Bucks vs Celtics predictions expect Boston to take care of business, fueled by more fireworks from Payton Pritchard.

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Check out my NBA picks for the Eastern Conference matchup on Sunday, February 1.

Bucks vs Celtics prediction

The best bet between Bucks and Celtics: Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points (-110)

Despite Jayson Tatum’s injury and Kristaps Porzingis’ exit, the Boston Celtics still rank second in the league in 3-pointers made per game this season.

Payton Pritchard voluntarily stepped up from beyond the arc and had free rein to cook Friday with Jaylen Brown sitting out. He turned those extra touches into 29 points while shooting 12-of-16 against Sacramento, and Pritchard is a high-value pick to continue that streak against the Milwaukee Bucks.

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While he likely won’t have that kind of volume today, Pritchard still fits in effortlessly when Brown and Derrick White run the show, and he’s averaging 21.2 points per game over his last five games. This brings me to the Over on this point, after Pritchard hit his 3-pointers at a 42% clip in January.

It helps that the Bucks are on the ropes: Their double-digit loss to Washington last Thursday says it all. I don’t expect the visitors to put up much resistance defensively, especially with Giannis’ shadow still looming over the franchise.

That should mean good looks for Pritchard, who is a slightly more accurate shooter at TD Garden and has become a stable No. 3 option for Boston.

Parlay of the same game between Bucks and Celtics

Based on a great Pritchard game, I’ll take the lead on this Celtics team’s total. The hosts are averaging 116.3 ppg this season and without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee could be vulnerable to an avalanche of three-pointers from Boston.

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Antetokounmpo’s absence also opens up more rebounding opportunities for his teammates, and Kyle Kuzma has increased his activity on the glass lately. Kuzma has pulled in 27 rebounds in his last three games, and has seen improvement in his time on the court, logging 30-plus minutes in four of his last five games.

Bucks-Celtics SGP

• Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points

• Kyle Kuzma Over 6.5 rebounds

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Our SGP “from the center”: White’s Shooting Woes Linger

White continues to contribute all the scoring for Boston, but his 3-point collapse has been alarming.

The Celtics guard shot just 26% from downtown in January, and has only made more than 3 3-pointers in one of his last nine outings.

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Bucks-Celtics SGP

• Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points

• Kyle Kuzma Over 6.5 rebounds

• Derrick White Down 2.5 threes

Bucks vs Celtics Betting

• Diffusion: Dollars +13.5 (-110) | Celtic -13.5 (-110)

• Moneyline: Dollars +550 | Celtic -900

• Above/Below: Over 217.5 (-110) | Below 217.5 (-110)

Bucks vs Celtics betting trend to know

The Bucks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. Check out more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Celtics.

How to watch Bucks vs Celtics

Latest injuries between Bucks and Celtics

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