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USATSI

The Boston Celtics will try to overcome some key absences when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Boston is going to be without three starters -- Jaylen Brown (face), Jayson Tatum (illness) and Marcus Smart (ankle) -- while Al Horford (knee) and Robert Williams III (knee) are questionable. The Celtics have beaten Milwaukee in four of their last five meetings, but Milwaukee is riding a seven-game home winning streak. The Bucks have won 10 straight games overall, but they've failed to cover the spread in seven consecutive home games against Boston.

The Bucks' injury report consists of Bobby Portis (knee) and Jae Crowder (reconditioning), who are both out. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Bucks vs. Celtics odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 225. Before locking in any Celtics vs. Bucks picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 55-29 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Bucks and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Bucks vs. Celtics:

  • Celtics vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -8.5
  • Celtics vs. Bucks over/under: 225 points 
  • Celtics vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -385, Celtics +300
  • BOS: The Celtics are 14-13 against the spread in road games 
  • MIL: The Bucks are 18-10 against the spread in home games 
  • Celtics vs. Bucks picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Celtics can cover

It will be shorthanded in this one, but Boston does have the best overall profile in the NBA this season. Not only do the Celtics have the best record (41-16) and net rating (+6.3) in the league over the full-season sample, but they also lead the NBA with a 18-9 road record. The Celtics out-score opponents by 3.1 points per 100 possessions away from TD Garden, and also bring a stellar +11.8 net rating so far in the month of February. 

The Celtics are scoring nearly 1.17 points per possession, ranking in the top three of the NBA in efficiency, and rank No. 2 in the league in 3-pointers (15.8 per game) and free throw accuracy (82.7%). Boston shares the ball well with 26.3 assists per game, and commits only 13.5 turnovers per contest. While Milwaukee's defense is very strong, the Bucks are last in the NBA in turnover creation (12.1 per game) and that could allow the Celtics to play freely and with increased confidence.

Why the Bucks can cover

Boston might be riding a four-game winning streak, but it is going to struggle to compete without Brown and Tatum. The latter leads the Celtics with 30.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while Brown is averaging 26.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon is the team's third-leading scorer, but he is only averaging 14.3 points per game.

Milwaukee extended its winning streak to 10 games with its 119-106 win over the Clippers last Friday, easily covering the 2-point spread in the process. Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 35 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists, helping his team cover the spread for the fourth time in its last five games. Antetokounmpo ranks third in the NBA in scoring, averaging 32.4 points to go along with 12.3 rebounds per contest. 

How to make Celtics vs. Bucks picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, with nine players projected to score in double-figures. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Bucks vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Bucks spread you need to jump on Tuesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.