The Boston Celtics will be looking to snap a two-game straight-up losing streak Friday night when they host the high-powered Milwaukee Bucks as narrow 1-point favorites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com
Boston is coming off a loss to one of the NBA’s worst teams Wednesday, dropping a 111-103 decision to the Phoenix Suns as hefty 11.5-point home chalk to remain stalled in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of Friday night’s Bucks vs. Celtics betting matchup at TD Garden.
The Celtics’ offense has cooled off during a two-game SU slide that began with last Saturday’s 113-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons as 2-point favorites. Boston has tallied just 103.5 points per game over its two losses after piling up an impressive 125.4 points per game during its recent season-high eight-game win streak.
Boston continues to be steady on home hardwood, winning and covering in four straight prior to Wednesday’s defeat, and has lost in consecutive outings just once in 30 contests since March, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Celtics also have enjoyed regular success when the Bucks come to town, winning SU and against the spread in six meetings at TD Garden since April 2017, including four home victories in a hard-fought seven-game win over Milwaukee in the first round of last season’s NBA playoffs.
However, the Celtics now face a Bucks squad that has made major gains since last spring’s playoff loss. Milwaukee has emerged as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference after opening the season on a 21-9 SU run that leaves it trailing the league-leading Toronto Raptors by just 1.5 games in the standings.
The Bucks have won three straight, capped by a 123-115 victory over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans as 9-point home chalk Wednesday night. With the win, Milwaukee improved to a sparkling 14-3 SU on home court. The Bucks also have taken steps to overcome a middling 4-5 SU start on the road, going 3-1 SU over their past four, including a 104-99 win in Toronto as 5-point underdogs on Dec. 9.
Milwaukee also has played responsible defense on the road of late, limiting opponents to just 104.5 points per game over their past four. That has contributed to a steady 9-2 run for the UNDER in totals betting, but the Bucks have otherwise produced uneven results at the sportsbooks, going 4-8-1 ATS at online sports betting sites in their past 13 contests.
Following Friday’s contest, the Celtics continue their four-game homestand with a visit from the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday before looking for their first home win on Christmas Day since 1964 in a holiday matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.
