Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks 2/21/19: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds
Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks Preview
We jump out of the gates with Boston and Milwaukee to tip off the second half of the regular season. Both teams were hot heading into the break, as Boston was 7-3 in their last ten games, and Milwaukee finished 8-2. The Bucks continue to lead the Eastern Conference with a 43-14 record, and they sit one game up on second-place Toronto. Boston will look to better their fourth-place record right now, as they try and make ground on the East’s elite teams.
This is the third and final meeting in the regular season, and the teams have split the first two meetings. Milwaukee won the last game handily, 120-107. You have to date back to November 1st for their first game, which Boston won 117-113. Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken it to the Celtics, averaging 31-9-3 in the first two meetings. On the other side, Kyrie Irving has averaged 21-6-7 and is due back from missing the last few games before the break with a knee injury.
TV Schedule
Date: 02/21/19
Time: 8:00pm ET
Arena: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Channel: TNT
Boston Celtics Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Kyrie Irving |
| SG | Marcus Smart |
| SF | Jayson Tatum |
| PF | Marcus Morris |
| C | Al Horford |
Celtics Analysis
After half a season of ups and downs, Boston will look to gain playoff form in the second half. The Celtics have been subpar against teams above .500, going 11-12, and will look to start trending upwards against the league’s best. That starts tonight against Milwaukee.
Al Horford might be on a bit of a maintenance plan this season, but he closed out the first half averaging 14.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.7 BPG. Yes, Irving missed a few games, but Horford put together one of his better stretches of the season. Even with Milwaukee ranking second in defensive efficiency against centers this season, Horford is a key factor in this game.
There is a chance that Gordon Hayward sits out tonight, after spraining his ankle in practice. Boston will list him questionable. Both Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown would benefit, picking up more minutes.
Celtics Quick Links: Celtics Starting Lineup, Celtics Roster, Celtics Depth Chart, Celtics Injuries, Celtics News, Celtics Schedule
Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Eric Bledsoe |
| SG | Malcolm Brogdon |
| SF | Khris Middleton |
| PF | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| C | Brook Lopez |
Contents
Bucks Analysis
Giannis Antetokounmpo is in the running for league MVP this year, but the Bucks, more importantly, are leading the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.2 points per game this season, which is top ten in the league. He will look to go about his business over the last few months of the regular season.
Milwaukee traded for Nikola Mirotic before the break, but he has yet to make his debut for the Bucks due to a calf injury. Early reports have him listed as probable, which would have the new sixth man ready to go against a potential playoff matchup.
Mirotic was a terrific addition, and he adds to an already improved three-point shooting team. When healthy this season he is shooting 37% from three, and 44% from the field.
Brook Lopez has had a tough time in the prior two meetings against Boston, dealing with the tough center defense of the Celtics. This might be the first game we get to see the impact of Mirotic and how he has an effect on lineups against teams that Lopez doesn’t match up well against.
Bucks Quick Links: Bucks Starting Lineup, Bucks Roster, Bucks Depth Chart, Bucks Injuries, Bucks News, Bucks Schedule
Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks Betting Odds
Boston will come into Milwaukee as five-point underdogs. The Bucks are -220 moneyline favorites, and the over/under is currently set at 227.5. The prior games have been extremely high scoring, which makes sense for the high total. However, the total is more about the volume of shots compared to the efficiency of these two teams when you look back at the prior games.
Odds & Line Movement Links:
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DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
Despite plenty of points being put up in the prior two meetings, there hasn’t been elite fantasy plays from them. Shooting percentages have dropped drastically for most players other than Antetokounmpo, who has played well against Boston this season. He is the obvious fantasy pick each and every night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is an obvious choice, but he is a stud to consider building around. On tonight’s slate, I might hedge with other options when looking at the secondary Bucks players like Middleton and Bledsoe. He has averaged 54 fantasy points in the prior two meetings.
Al Horford is someone I am keeping an eye on for tonight’s slate. He comes in at $6,000 on DraftKings, which is a nice mid-range price for the PF/C position. He is a bit pricer on FanDuel ($8,000), but the defensive stats are a bonus over there.
If Gordon Hayward misses tonight’s game, Jaylen Brown is someone I have some interest in for cheap. In the ten games prior to the break, he averaged 14-4-1 with over one steal per game. He also shot 47% from the field. Brown has averaged 30 minutes per game in the four games Hayward has missed.
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