Celtics Odds: Where Prices Stand Before Jrue Holiday-Bucks Reunion
Will the Bucks have any regrets down the line?
As expected, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are picking up right where they both left off.
The Celtics, getting acclimated to their new-look roster after pulling off a pair of blockbuster trades in the offseason, have gone 11-3 through their first 14 games. Boston's offense, for the most part, has been the most dangerous in the NBA, heavily credited to the starting core that's been its strongest in the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era.
The Bucks, in welcoming seven-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard, haven't meshed nearly as well. Milwaukee's defense has been sluggish, looking completely opposite of the once-established defensive unit under then-head coach Mike Budenholzer. Lillard's had a major hand in that, struggling to adapt to responsibilities beyond outside shooting from 40 feet out.
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There has, however, been a common factor that's impacted both teams and their respective odds early on: Jrue Holiday.
Here's where Boston and Milwaukee's prices stand in comparison to the rest of the league, according to FanDuel Sportsbook:
To win NBA Finals:
Boston Celtics: +370
Milwaukee Bucks: +420
Denver Nuggets: +440
Phoenix Suns: +650
Golden State Warriors: +1400
To win Eastern Conference:
Boston Celtics: +155
Milwaukee Bucks: +185
Philadelphia 76ers: +550
Cleveland Cavaliers: +1200
Miami Heat: +1800
Albeit super premature, the difference-making is already in place. Holiday's 7.4 rebounds, which ranks second among all guards in the NBA, plus 12.8 points and 5.1 assists, have made the Celtics a much more refined team than last season. Pairing Holiday with Derrick White has given the Celtics arguably the best backcourt in the NBA, with a duo that's efficient and effective on both ends of the floor.
On Wednesday night, Holiday will get his first redemption chance against Milwaukee when the Celtics host the Bucks at TD Garden.
"It's going to be really strange," former teammate and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo explained, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But at the end of the day, you?ve got to do what you gotta do. It's going to be strange seeing one of my brothers playing in a different jersey, but, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. It's going to be weird for him to see us playing against us, too. We'll see. We'll see how it goes."
Right now, the odds see things going the way of the Celtics.
