NBA Betting Picks: Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Predictions and Odds on October 28 (Will Celtics Cover the Spread?)

A possible Eastern Conference Finals preview will be on the cards when the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks collide this Monday at the TD Garden.

Three games into the season and the Celtics remain the favorite to win the title at +300 while the Bucks are not far behind at +1400 to lift its third championship.

• Boston heads into this matchup as the 9.5-point favorites as per the latest Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks betting lines.
• The Celtics are coming off a 124-118 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday while the Bucks hope to bounce back after dropping a 115-102 decision to the Brooklyn Nets yesterday.
• Both teams split their four matchups last season though it was the Bucks who had the last laugh, scoring a 104-91 victory last April.

Will the Celtics continue their hot start or will the Bucks bounce back and hand the defending champions its first loss of the season? As of press time, here’s how the current Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks odds look like.

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks DraftKings NBA Odds for October 28

Moneyline

• Boston Celtics: -470
• Milwaukee Bucks: +360

Spread

• Boston Celtics: -9.5 (-110)
• Milwaukee Bucks: +9.5 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 233.5 (-110)
• UNDER 233.5 (-110)

Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

Boston Celtics Injury Report

1. Sam Hauser – Back – Questionable
2. Kristaps Porzingis – Foot – Out

Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

1. Khris Middleton – Ankle – Out

Best NBA odds for Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks

• The Boston Celtics have covered the spread in two of their first three games of the season. The best Boston Celtics odds for the home team to cover the -9.5 spread are available on LeoVegas for an attractive price of -103.
• The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Boston Celtics in their final regular season matchup last year. William Hill offers the best odds for the Bucks to win outright at +370.
• The Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are among the best scoring teams in the league this season. The best Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks odds for the over are available on Stake at -101.

Why will the Boston Celtics cover the spread?

After picking up a dominant opening day triumph over the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics continued its winning momentum scoring convincing victories against the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons.

• For context, the Celtics have beaten teams this season by an average margin of 16.3 points and what’s even more impressive is two of those three victories came on the road.

Now, the Celtics return home to take on a Bucks squad who are currently riding a two-game losing streak, with the latest being a 115-102 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets.

In their loss against the Nets, the Bucks found themselves turning the ball over 18 times and shooting a dismal 30.3% from the three-point country. If that continues here, that could potentially give the Celtics a massive upper hand in this matchup.

• Across three games this season, the Celtics are leading the league in three-point shooting percentage, making 44.2% of their shots from downtown.
• Even impressive is the fact that they are pretty good at taking good care of the ball, only committing nine turnovers per game, which is the second-best in the league.

Bucks still down bad without Khris, Celtics smell blood

All things considered, backing the Celtics to cover the -9.5 spread at home may offer significant value with the Bucks still missing Khris Middleton in this game.

• Expected to carry the offensive load for Boston in this game is Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Jayson Tatum, who is currently fourth in the league in scoring at 33.0 points.

The 26-year old Tatum tied his season-best on Saturday, scoring 37 points on top of four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in the Celtics’ 124-118 road victory against the Pistons.

Why will the Milwaukee Bucks cover the spread?

Like the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks also had a fiery start beating the Philadelphia 76ers by double-digits in their first game of the season.

However, it has gone downhill since as the Bucks found themselves losing two straight against the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets.

The search for a win does not get easier as they battle the red-hot Celtics next but there are a few things that the Bucks have to be optimistic heading into this matchup.

• Although the Bucks lost their last two games, one common denominator that stood out was their aggressiveness inside as they were able to force their opponents to commit over 20 fouls which led to an average of 28 free throws.

For the Bucks to give themselves a chance of covering the +9.5 spread, they must put the Celtics in an uncomfortable position by attacking inside rather than settling for outside shots.

• With the Celtics missing the services of Kristaps Porzingis in this game, forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star guard Damian Lillard need to continue to be aggressive here to get more opportunities at the stripe.
• Against the Nets, Lillard and Antetokounmpo accounted for 22 of the Bucks 31 total foul shots, with both All Stars making 18 of those attempts.

Bucks' big three need backup and fewer turnovers to keep it close

Other than Lillard and Antetokounmpo, center Brook Lopez also needs to step up here and impose his presence inside to give the Bucks more second opportunities to score.

Another thing that the Bucks have to do here is to limit their turnovers. In the last game, Milwaukee turned the ball over 18 times, which is not a formula for success against a Celtics team who are among the top teams in the league as far as converting turnovers to points are concerned.

Should the Bucks trio put up their usual numbers and get the much-needed offensive help from its supporting cast, backing them to cover the spread and potentially win outright looks attractive at these current odds.

Final Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks NBA Prediction: Over 233.5 (-110)

The Boston Celtics are a massive favorite for a reason but they are taking on an unpredictable Milwaukee Bucks, which on any given night, could get on fire.

Gun to my head, I’d pick the Celtics to cover but the smart bet here is the over. It is worth noting that the Celtics and the Bucks are currently in third and fourth spots respectively as far as scoring is concerned.