Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics Preview (12/25/22): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds
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Boston and Milwaukee, the two best teams in the East, will look to establish which squad is the best in the conference on Christmas Day. Everyone has been eager to witness a rematch between the Celtics and Bucks after a tough seven-game series in last season’s Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Our Christmas Day present is finally here. Check out the projected starting lineups, our betting picks and predictions, current odds, and the latest injury information for both teams below!
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds
The Milwaukee Bucks are 4.5-point road dogs against the Boston Celtics. Khris Middleton’s status for the matchup is unclear due to a minor knee injury that has kept him out of four-straight games. Meanwhile, Boston still doesn’t have Danilo Gallinari available for its disposal. Robert Williams III is listed as day-to-day, but more than likely, he will play.
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Boston Celtics Prediction
The much-anticipated matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics has been gifted to us for Christmas. Boston has dropped three of its past four games, including two to Orlando and one to Indiana; those are not “good losses” by any stretch. Over the past seven games, Boston’s elite, bordering on historic, offense has come tumbling down to reality. It has had an offensive rating of 107.1 during that stretch, which is worse than the Charlotte Hornets’ 108.0 offensive rating in the 2022-23 season.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee has found a way to win many games this season without Khris Middleton on the floor. Middleton looks like a game-time decision for this matchup, but it is difficult to envision the Bucks risking his health just because they are playing in a Christmas Day game. Regardless, the Bucks are in the midst of a struggle themselves, having lost back-to-back road games to Cleveland and Brooklyn. Those are two of the other top teams in the Eastern Conference, so those losses can be somewhat expected away from Fiserv Forum.
Ultimately, Boston should shake the rust off of its recent offensive performance on Christmas. The C’s also should flip the switch on the defensive end, especially with Robert Williams III is back in the rotation. His rim protection and length should help add to the C’s frontcourt depth and Boston should step up to the plate with a big win at home.
Betting Trends
- Milwaukee is 5-8-2 ATS on the road in 2022-23
- Boston is 10-7 ATS at home in 2022-23
- The combined over record of these two teams is 32-31-2 in 2022-23
Key Matchups
The two MVP frontrunners, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum headline our key matchup between the Bucks and Celtics. Which player has the advantage in this game? See our answer and analysis below!
Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Jayson Tatum
During last season’s playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo went into a superhuman mode that few NBA players in the history of the game could achieve. Giannis averaged close to 34 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists on 46% shooting from the field.
The Celtics had the best defense in the NBA last season, and Giannis still posted those absurd averages. It didn’t come easy, but he helped Milwaukee take Boston to seven games, despite not having Khris Middleton. The circumstances might be similar this time around, too.
In that series, Jayson Tatum averaged roughly 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists, including a clutch 46-point performance at Milwaukee in Game Six to keep the series alive. Tatum had a rough Game Three, but besides that game, he played well against the Bucks.
The Celtics haven’t played defense at the same level as they did last season, while Milwaukee has stepped up on that end of the floor. The Bucks have a top-three defense in the NBA and plenty of rim protection to force Tatum to do most of his damage from the perimeter. Giannis has an advantage against this C’s defense that isn’t quite as intimidating as last year, and he has only gotten better. Advantage: Giannis.
Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Jevon Carter
SF: Grayson Allen
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Brook Lopez
Boston Celtics Starting Lineups
PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Al Horford
Key Injuries
Milwaukee Bucks Injuries: Khris Middleton (Q)
Boston Celtics Injuries: Danilo Gallinari (Out), Marcus Smart (Q)
