Celtics vs. Bucks odds, line: NBA picks, top predictions from model on 44-30 run

The Milwaukee Bucks look to pick up where they left off before the NBA All-Star break against the visiting Boston Celtics on Thursday. The Bucks (43-14) have been red hot, winning 14 of 16, and lead Toronto by one game in the Eastern Conference NBA playoff bracket. The Celtics (37-21), tied for fourth in the East, are only 6.5 games behind Milwaukee and are out to win the season series. Tip-off from Fiserv Forum is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Both teams have won and covered their last two games. The Bucks are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Celtics vs. Bucks odds, the same as where the spread opened, while the over-under for total points scored is 227, down one from the opener. You’ll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying about the game before laying any Celtics vs. Bucks picks of your own.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks this season. It entered Week 19 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling 217-164 record on all top-rated picks, returning more than $4,000 to anybody following them. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA picks against the spread, entering Week 19 on a blistering 44-30 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.

Now the model has dialed in on Celtics vs. Bucks. We can tell you it’s leaning under, but it has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 60 percent of simulations. That one is available exclusively at SportsLine.

The model knows the Bucks have not lost back-to-back home games and have not lost more than once to an opponent all season. Milwaukee split two meetings in Boston and has won 23 of 28 home games. The Bucks hold an edge in scoring (116.9 points per game) over the Celtics (113). Additionally, Milwaukee is tops in rebounds (48.8), while Boston is ranked 15th (45.1).

The Bucks’ top three scorers have been carrying the load of late. Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.2 points per game) has scored at least 30 points in four of the last six games he’s played in, while Khris Middleton (17.1 points per game) has scored in double-figures in 53 of 54, including 23 straight. Malcolm Brogdon has equaled or surpassed his 15.8-point average in eight of the last 10 games.

But just because Milwaukee has been dominant of late doesn’t guarantee it will cover the Celtics vs. Bucks spread on Thursday. 

That’s because the Celtics have had plenty of success against the Bucks since the 2015-16 season. Boston has won eight of 13 in the series, including three of five in Milwaukee. The Celtics are 27-10 against the East and 14-13 on the road, including four wins in a row. Boston has also had success against teams either tied or ahead of them in the standings, going 7-3 against the Bucks, Raptors, Pacers and 76ers.

Kyrie Irving (23.6 points) has been the Celtics’ offensive spark plug, equaling or surpassing his average in nine of the past 10 games he has played, including 38 points against the Grizzlies. He has scored in double-figures in 45 of 47 games. Jayson Tatum has also played well, equaling or surpassing his average in seven of the past 10 games, including 25 at Cleveland.

Who wins Bucks vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread can you bank on in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bucks vs. Celtics spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that’s up more than $4,000 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.