It’s a tradition unlike any other, no wait, that’s used for a different game. But it’s true; NBA basketball on Christmas Day is a tradition that features the best players and teams from around the league. We certainly get a good one in this Eastern Conference heavyweight matchup when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the Boston Celtics. This could easily be an East final preview with both teams entering the Holidays perched atop the conference standings. The Celtics faded a bit after a scorching start allowing the Bucks to take over the lead, though it’s going to change daily through the season with several other teams a winning streak away from crashing the party.
The contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics takes place at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 25, 2022, from TD Garden in Boston and will air live on ABC and ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Sunday NBA schedule.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
For the second straight year the teams will meet on Christmas only intensifying a rivalry that got pushed up a notch in last season’s playoffs. The Bucks saw their chances for a repeat thwarted by Boston in the second round after taking a 3-2 series lead. Boston won Game 6 on the road and completed the comeback with a Game 7 win inside the Garden. This will be the first meeting between the clubs since then. The teams split four games last regular season with each winning twice in its gym. The games were closer in Milwaukee, though, and the Bucks failed to earn a payout. The Bucks won for the 10th time in 13 games beating New Orleans 128-119 on Monday night covering the 1-point line. They are 7-4-2 ATS in that span and have covered in over 60 percent of their games this season.
The Celtics were the best team in the NBA going 18-4 SU and 14-8 ATS through the end of November. Winning 82 percent of your games is an unsustainable pace, but the Cs have dropped off worse than most expected. This month started with a loss to Miami ending a 5-game winning streak and included the longest road trip of the season. Boston went 4-2 SU and 3-2-1 ATS in that six-game trip, but it apparently took something out of them. Once back in Beantown the Celtics were swept in a pair of home games by Orlando as a double-digit favorite in both dropping them to 11-4 SU and 9-6 ATS in 15 home matches.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks showed they’re more than Giannis Antetokounmpo landing a 26-point win over Utah with him and Khris Middleton out of the lineup. The Bucks are 4-1 SU and ATS in games the Freak doesn’t play. With him in the lineup opposing defenses have a hard time defending. Giannis averages 31 points and the Bucks average more than 116 points. In recent wins over Golden State, Utah and New Orleans they scored at least 123 points.
Getting players back has helped with depth making the Bucks a stronger team. Middleton missed the first few months and he’s slowly getting into form averaging 11.1 points in seven games. Bobby Portis stepped up with 22 points and 14 boards against Utah starting in place of Giannis. And it’s hard to overlook the defense. The Bucks have the second best defensive rating holding teams to 108.8 points per game.
Boston Celtics
There was a bright spot in Boston’s recent sweep at the hands of the Magic. Defensive anchor Robert Williams made his season debut in the opener following recovery from knee surgery. He made all four shots with five rebounds in under 18 minutes in the first game and he scored six points with five rebounds and two blocks in the second game. You’d expect the defense to get better as Williams gets increased playing time barring any setbacks.
The Celtics could use a boost on that end of the floor. They haven’t been bad but they aren’t quite as active as we’ve seen in years past. Jaysom Tatum leads the NBA’s highest scoring offense averaging 30.2 points and we saw the team suffer without him scoring 92 points in a loss to Orlando.
NBA Odds Pick
Both teams are good at covering the spread so how about a push on the line in this one? These are the best teams in the East so it should be a good one, but I like Giannis and his teammates just a little bit more, though the Celtics are always a tough out at home.
NBA Odds Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks / OVER
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
Check out the latest odds at BookMaker
