Bucks vs. Celtics Prediction and Odds for December 6: Bucks Climbing the Ladder in the East

The Milwaukee Bucks (11-10) have a chance to continue their midseason turnaround when they take on the Boston Celtics (18-4) on Friday night.

The Bucks won nine of their last 11 games but are only 1-7 against teams with records above .500. They also lost to the Atlanta Hawks 119-104 their last time on the court on Wednesday.

The Celtics, on the other hand, are chasing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference ladder and won nine of their last 10 games. They outscored their opponents by more than 10 points per 100 possessions and are holding onto their status as NBA Finals favorites.

Here, we will break down the Bucks vs. Celtics odds and share our favorite betting picks from the matchup.

Bucks vs. Celtics Betting Odds for Friday, December 6

The Bucks are 8-12-1 (40 percent) against the spread, 4-5 (44.4 percent) ATS on the road, and 2-3 (40 percent) ATS as an underdog. 

The Celtics are 9-13 (40.9 percent) ATS, 4-7 (36.4 percent) ATS at home, and 9-12 (42.9 percent) ATS as a favorite.

The following odds for the Bucks vs. Celtics game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and claim up to $1,500 in bonus bets* with our promo code WSNSPORTS.

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Bucks vs. Celtics Prediction

Milwaukee Bucks Preview

It’s time to be cautiously optimistic as a Bucks fan. Doc Rivers turned mayhem to misery when he took over for Adrian Griffin last year and led the Bucks to a losing record and a first-round exit in the playoffs, and the start to this season was worse than anyone imagined possible. 

Recently, however, the Bucks have begun to show encouraging signs. Whether it be the individual play of Giannis Antetokounmpo, finding an ability to get Damian Lillard open looks with easy actions, or the improvement in play from role players, Milwaukee’s recent upturn in results is not by mistake.

Looking at the last 11 games, the Bucks ranked sixth in offensive and 10th in defensive efficiency. They didn’t make any changes to their pace of ball security and simply executed the details better than they did during the opening month of the campaign.

The Bucks now rank 10th in points scored and 12th in points allowed per 100 possessions for the year, both of which can be improved but are strong signs as they are. They struggle on the glass but are great from beyond the arc, shooting 39.1 percent from three (first) and holding opponents to 36.6 percent from deep.

A question that needs to be answered is whether Milwakee’s bench can cope with some of the best units in the league, of which Boston has one. Their reserves outscored opponents by an average of three points per 100 possessions (fifth), while the Bucks’ is 12th at +1.6.

As we mentioned, Antetokounmpo has been a man on a mission, averaging 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. Gary Trent Jr. recently started to knock down shots, while Damian Lillard is up to 25.9 points and 7.5 assists per night following a strong finish to November. 

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Boston Celtics Preview

Many coaches on contending teams take this time of the year to experiment with different rotations, schemes, and structures to prepare themselves and their team for the postseason. Examples of that would be the Dallas Mavericks playing PJ Washington at the five, The Golden State Warriors utilizing a 13-man rotation, etc.

Joe Mazzulla has tinkered with different approaches, such as making Neemias Queta a featured member of the reserves or changing point of attack defenders, but the Celtics are largely the same team they were a year ago—just better. 

The defending champs are second in offensive and 10th in defensive rating, making them one of five teams to rank inside the top 10 in both. They posted the second-highest net rating in the league and are 9-2 in their building.

Boston takes and makes more threes per game than any team in the league. What makes them unique is they also rank second in points per possession involving off-ball screens and sixth in possessions involving post-ups, meaning defenders have to smother them off of the ball, but leave themselves vulnerable to mismatches on the interior.

Boston is also 10th in three-point defense (35.3 percent allowed), limiting their opponents’ ability to match their offensive output and to pull ahead in the event they knock down early shots.

Kristaps Porzingis recently returned to the lineup, and he, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown averaged a combined 74.6 points per game.

Bucks vs. Celtics Betting Pick

• Bucks vs. Celtics pick: Bucks +7.5 (-110) at BetMGM

The Bucks still aren’t ready to seriously compete in the Eastern Conference, but they are taking the necessary steps to get there. Boston, on the other hand, is the finished product and looks better every time they take the court.

This is a tough matchup for the visitors. They’re coming off a loss and going on the road, where they’ll be charged with covering a spread that isn’t that large, given the Celtics’ level of dominance.

Giannis has been great against the Celtics recently and dropped 43 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists the last time they met on Nov. 10 in a game in which the Celtics won by six points. We’d still take the C’s to win, but the Bucks have a strong chance of covering the line.

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How to Watch Bucks vs. Celtics on 12/6/24

• When: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 ET

• Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA

• TV: ESPN

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