Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Game 1 Betting Preview/Prop Picks

Kicking off Game 1 is the Milwaukee Bucks versus Boston Celtics on Sunday. Although this game isn't for another day, we can get a good look at each team right now.

The Bucks made relatively quick work of the Chicago Bulls. However, they now face a team that ranks above the rest in terms of points allowed. Can Giannis and the Bucks overcome such a stingy defense?

The Boston Celtics swept the Brooklyn Nets and now have the Milwaukee Bucks in their sights. Still, beating Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't an easy task for the Celtics to complete. They'll likely rely on their defense for most of the heavy lifting.

This series will be full of great matchups to watch, which could decide the game. Let's get started with Game 1 and make our pick.

Milwaukee Bucks: Need to be careful of the Celtics' defense

The Bucks made it look easy to beat the Chicago Bulls. The problem is, the Bulls don't have nearly the same caliber of defense as the Celtics. If the Bucks don't alter their game plan, they could find themselves in the same boat as the Nets.

It starts with the matchup between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum. This is the most important one-on-one battle in the game.

From a physical standpoint, Giannis has the edge. However, Tatum has a bag full of tricks along with a strong supporting staff. The Bucks averaged 115.15 points per game, led by Giannis and his average of 29.9.

The Celtics will look to neutralize his effectiveness and force other Bucks players to score. This is where players like Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews need to step up.

Boston Celtics: Focusing on what they do best is key

The Celtics don't need to turn this into a scoring contest. In fact, they'll likely have a higher chance of losing if it goes in that direction. Instead, Boston needs to focus on defense, which is what helped them sweep the Nets.

On average, the Celtics allow just 104.69 points per game, ranking second in the NBA. Using this defense against the Bucks will lead to more wins.

Aside from that, the Celtics know that there is one player they need to target. After Giannis, the next highest scorer is Jrue Holiday, who averages 16.4 points per game.

The Bucks lost Khris Middleton, who ranked third on the team. Marcus Smart, one of the best defenders in the NBA, will guard Holiday. Needless to say, this is shaping up as a win for the Boston Celtics.

Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics Betting Pick

The Boston Celtics come in as 4.5-point favorites in this game, which isn't surprising. In their series against the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics went 3-1 against the spread.

In their last three games against Milwaukee, they're 3-0 ATS. Although it's a slightly large spread considering their opposition, we'll take Boston to win here. 

Betting on the total in this one is pretty tough. On one side, you have the high-scoring offense of the Bucks. On the other, you have the stingy defense of the Boston Celtics.

Still, Boston has put up quite a few points in recent games, so we'll take the over as well.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Boston Celtics -4.5, OVER

Prop Picks

Boston (-110) OVER 111.5 Points

Boston is averaging 111.8 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 12 in the league. That average increases to 120.1 points per game in the Celtics’ last 10 games. Scores have gone OVER in 16 of Boston’s last 22 home games versus Milwaukee.

With Dunkel predicting a Boston victory by the score of 116-107, take the Celtics (-110) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 111.5 points against the Bucks.

Jayson Tatum (-110) OVER 30.5 Points

Tatum averaged 26.9 points per game during the regular season, which ranked No. 1 on the Celtics and No. 11 in the league. That average increased to 30.4 points per game after the All-Star break and 31.3 points per game in three games versus the Bucks.

With Dunkel predicting a Celtics win while going OVER their team point total, take Tatum (-110) to finish OVER his Vegas point total of 30.5 points against Milwaukee.

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