Celtics vs. Bucks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Dec. 11

The Celtics are now the No. 3 seed in the East and are on a five-game winning streak.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is a great prop target on Thursday. / David Dermer-Imagn Images

Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics are rolling, winning five games in a row and eight of their last 10 to vault into the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Now, the Celtics hit the road as sizable favorites against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. The Bucks are just 10-15 this season, and they’re hanging on by a thread in the Eastern Conference playoff picture with Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) expected to miss the next two to four weeks.

Milwaukee is just 1-7 when Antetokounmpo sits this season, dropping the last seven games that the two-time league MVP has been out of the lineup. So, it’s going to be hard for this team to stay in the mix in the East if he’s unable to return this month. 

Meanwhile, the C’s are starting to really find their groove even with Jayson Tatum out of the lineup with an Achilles injury, ranking second in the NBA in offensive rating – behind only the Denver Nuggets. 

Brown is playing at an All-Star level, and he could be an interesting player for prop bettors to consider in this matchup.

Let’s take a look at the latest odds, my favorite prop bet and a prediction for this matchup on Thursday night. 

Celtics vs. Bucks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Celtics -8.5 (-120)
• Bucks +8.5 (+100)

Moneyline

• Celtics: -395
• Bucks: +310

Total

• 223.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Celtics vs. Bucks How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Dec. 11
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Fiserv Forum
• How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local), NBC Sports Boston
• Celtics record: 15-9
• Bucks record: 10-15

Celtics vs. Bucks Injury Reports

Celtics Injury Report

• Jayson Tatum – out
• Ron Harper Jr. – out
• Max Shulga – out
• Amari Williams – out
• Chris Boucher – out

Bucks Injury Report

• Giannis Antetokounmpo – out
• Alex Antetokounmpo – out
• AJ Green – questionable
• Taurean Prince – out
• Mark Sears – out

Celtics vs. Bucks Best NBA Prop Bets

Celtics Best NBA Prop Bet

• Jaylen Brown OVER 29.5 Points (-110)

In today’s best NBA prop bets for SI Betting, I broke down why Brown could be in line for a big game against Milwaukee: 

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has been an elite scorer this season, averaging 29.1 points per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The C’s star is taking a career-high 21.6 shots per game, and he’s turned in a plethora of 30-point showings in the process. Brown is coming off back-to-back 30-point games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, and he’s scored 30 or more points in 13 of his 23 games this season.

Brown’s usage makes him a great prop target in this game against a Bucks team that is 21st in the NBA in opponent points per game and 22nd in defensive rating. Milwaukee has won just two of its last 10 games, so I wouldn't be shocked to see this Boston offense (third in the NBA) have a big game tonight.

Celtics vs. Bucks Prediction and Pick

The Bucks are a must-fade when Antetokounmpo is out of the lineup, as they’ve lost seven games in a row, including six of them by nine or more points.

Of those seven losses, five of them have come by double digits, and Milwaukee has scored less than 110 points in four of them.

That’s a major concern against a Boston team that is suddenly rolling on offense, ranking No. 2 in offensive rating for the season and No. 1 over its last 10 games.

The Bucks don’t have a go-to option on offense, and they’ll be heavily reliant on Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr. and others to play above their pay grade on Thursday night.

With Boston sitting at 7-5 against the spread on the road, I think the C’s are worth a bet to cover in this matchup. Until the Bucks show they can compete without their superstar, we have to treat them as one of the worst teams in the league when he sits. 

Pick: Celtics -8.5 (-120 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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