The 2023-24 NBA season continues to roll right along, and there are some big games set to take place on Thursday night. The Boston Celtics will visit the Milwaukee Bucks for a huge game in the Eastern Conference in what will be the game of the day.
Boston is coming into this game with a record of 29-8 on the year, and they have looked like the best team in the NBA so far this season. The Celtics have won three of their last four games, including a huge comeback win on Wednesday night.
Milwaukee is trying to close the gap between them and the Celtics as they are sitting at 25-12 on the season. The Bucks are not playing their best basketball of late though as they have gone just 1-4 in their last five games.
The Milwaukee Bucks are 6.5-point betting favorites over the Boston Celtics in this battle on Saturday night.
Dynamic Duo Leading Celtics
The Boston Celtics brought in Kristaps Porzingis to help create a “Big Three” this season, but they have been more of a dynamic duo up to this point. Boston is scoring over 121 points per game, and it has been Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading that charge.
Tatum is one of the top MVP candidates in the league this season as he is scoring 28.0 points per game to lead the team. Brown just continues to get better and he is now up to over 23 points per game.
The Celtics are still looking for more scoring off of the bench, but those two stars are good enough to win games. Boston will have to prove that they can get stops on the road in order to win this matchup.
Bucks Have to Defend
The Milwaukee Bucks continue to be one of the most explosive teams in the NBA, but they have forgotten to play defense over the last two weeks. Milwaukee has given up at least 121 points in four of their last five games, and that’s simply not good enough to win games.
The Bucks are at least catching the Celtics at a good time ahead of this matchup, and Milwaukee will try to wear down Boston in this one. Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another huge season, and he is a matchup problem for the Celtics.
Antetokounmpo is scoring 31.4 points per game so far this season and has also grabbed 11.5 rebounds per game. Damian Lillard is also pouring in over 25 points per night, and Lillard is going to have to hit some clutch shots in this one.
Boston Battles, Bucks Win
It has been a grind for the Milwaukee Bucks over the last few games, but this team is simply too talented to continue to struggle. Milwaukee is going to find a way to score some points in this game, and they won’t be easy for the Boston Celtics to defend.
The Celtics will be looking to exert their dominance over the Bucks again, but fatigue is going to cost them a bit in this game. Boston just won’t have enough legs to play well for all four quarters in this game, and their shots will stop falling late.
Take the 6.5 points and bet on the Celtics on the road, but it’s going to be the Milwaukee Bucks that pick up a crucial win in the Eastern Conference.
