Celtics vs Bucks Odds and Picks for Christmas Day Game

• The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Boston Celtics on at 2:30pm ET on ABC on Christmas Day
• The Bucks enter the game at 21-13 overall, while the Celtics come in at 16-16 on the year
• See below for the latest odds, analysis and the best bet

In the second game of a five-game slate of NBA games on Christmas Day, the Boston Celtics will travel to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in an Eastern Conference showdown at 2:30pm ET on ABC from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Heading into the holiday game, the Bucks are listed as 6.5-point favorites over the Celtics.

Celtics vs Bucks Odds

Odds as of Dec. 24th from DraftKings

Boston is 16-16 overall and is 4-6 in its last 10 games, currently floating around the 6-9 seed range in the East. The Celtics are coming off of a 111-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in Boston.

Milwaukee enters at 21-13 on the year and is 6-4 over the last 10 contests going into Christmas Day, sitting in the top five of the West standings. The Bucks most recently taking down the Dallas Mavericks 102-95 on Thursday in Dallas.

Injury Report

Boston will likely be without Enes Freedom, Sam Hauser, Al Horford, Jabari Parker, Josh Richardson, Brodric Thomas and Grant Williams, all of who missed the Celtics previous game while in health and safety protocols.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Wesley Matthews and Bobby Portis were all held out of Thursday’s game while in league health and safety protocols. Brook Lopez (back) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (illness) were also out for Thursday’s contest.

Celtics Look to Improve on the Road

Boston enters Christmas Day having a bit of an up-and-down stretch as of late also dealing with a decent amount of roster shifts due to players in health and safety protocols. The Celtics have also struggled away from home this season, holding a record of 7-10 on the road.

The biggest factor for Boston this season has come on the defensive end, as the Celtics are a far better team defensively in wins compared to in losses. Boston is giving up 99.4 points per game to opponents in victory while giving up 114.8 points in losses. On the offensive end, the Celtics are averaging 111.9 points in wins compared to 104.8 in defeat.

Individually, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led the charge for Boston. Tatum has led the team by averaging 25.6, 8.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists, while Brown has added 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season.

Bucks Dominant at Home, Try to Remain Atop East

Milwaukee has been a solid team at home this season, which has played into the Bucks remaining atop the conference standings nearing the end of the calendar year. Milwaukee is 11-5 in front of its home crowd, holding onto a top five spot in the East.

Milwaukee has been an impressive team offensively this season, which has been one of the biggest reasons it has come out on top more often than not. The Bucks are averaging 117.5 points per game in games this year where they have come away victorious, compared to 99.8 points per game in contests where they have lost. Defensively, Milwaukee has given up 103.1 points to opponents in wins while allowing 113.6 points in losses.

Antetokounmpo has made another case to win MVP this season while averaging 27 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game to lead Milwaukee. Khris Middleton entered the holiday weekend averaging 18 points, 5.6 rebounds and five assists, followed by Jrue Holiday with 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds a game.

Prediction and Best Bet

This game could come down to the status of Antetokounmpo and if he is able to play in the game on Christmas Day. If he does play, the Bucks should be able to come out on top at home, but if he’s not able to return, the Celtics could have a great opportunity to come away with a victory on the road. In the end, Milwaukee’s success at home could be the ultimate factor leading to it pulling out the win.

For the best bet of the night, take a look at the spread of 6.5 points listed entering the contest. This game could come down to the wire regardless of who is taking part in the game, meaning it will likely be decided by less than 6.5 points. When betting, go with the Celtics and the +6.5.

• The Pick: Boston +6.5 (-110)