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These two teams will face off in an early-season matchup that could help clear up the picture a little bit if either side comes away with a dominant win. Boston is still the more talented team but the Bucks have the home court advantage, so this could be a close contest. While the Cleveland Cavaliers will be the favorites in the East as long as LeBron James is healthy, these seem to be lining up as two of the biggest challengers.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, October 26, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
There is no line out for this game quite yet but the Bucks may be small home favorites. It all depends how much the oddsmakers believe in their 3-1 start. The Celtics came into the season with higher expectations but the injury to Hayward is a big one.
Kyrie Irving is leading the way for Boston but it’s fair to wonder if it will take the Celtics a while to jell as a team. If the Bucks are the underdogs, they seem like a solid value bet at home.
Player To Watch
Giannis Antetokounmpo -- The “Greek Freak” is off to a fantastic start through four games for the Bucks and he may be reaching superstardom. The Milwaukee power forward has put up ludicrous numbers in the earlygoing, averaging 36.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, all of which lead the team.
The Celtics are going to need to find a way to slow him down but they don’t seem to have anyone that can adequately guard such a unique player. Boston may be deeper, but the NBA is a star-driven league, and if Antetokounmpo is dominant in this game it could help lead his team to the victory.
The Celtics would love to force the other Milwaukee starters to beat them in this contest.
Last Meeting
These two teams faced off earlier this season and it was the Bucks who pulled off the upset by securing a 108-100 win. Antetokounmpo unsurprisingly led the way, scoring 37 points on 13-of-22 from the field while adding 13 rebounds and three steals.
The Celtics had the lead going into the fourth quarter but Milwaukee turned it on, outscoring Boston 32-20 over the final 12 minutes. Irving shot just 7-of-25 from the field for Boston in that game, and if he is more effective this time it should give his team a better shot at some payback.
That early win gave the Bucks come confidence and they will enter this game knowing they can hang with the Celtics.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Even though Irving is the biggest name taking the court in this one, Antetokounmpo might be the best player. Milwaukee is at home in this one, and even though Boston would love to get a measure of revenge, the Bucks are proving to be a tough team.
The Celtics are going to find their groove at some point this season but it won’t be in this one. Take Milwaukee to continue its strong start to the season with a home win over Boston to already take a 2-0 lead in the season series.
The scoring total isn’t out yet but there may be fewer hoops than expected in this one. The Bucks may need to grind out an ugly win.
NBA Odds: Bucks 98, Celtics 95
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