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Bucks vs. Celtics SGP Odds, Picks, Predictions: Boston Expected to Control Christmas Day Showdown

Shane Jackson

Last Updated: December 25, 2022 7:00 AM EST • 2 min 49 sec read.

The Boston Celtics square off with the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day in a battle of two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Read on for our Bucks vs. Celtics same-game parlay picks.

Christmas Day is a staple on the NBA calendar, and this year is no exception even with it falling on an NFL Sunday. Of the five games slated for Sunday, the main attraction will be a showdown between the two best teams in the league with the Celtics (23-10) welcoming the Bucks (22-10) to TD Garden.

Make sure to get in front of a TV before this Eastern Conference semifinals rematch begins at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. And join us by placing a special same-game parlay for this marquee matchup.

Here are our best Bucks vs. Celtics NBA SGP picks for Christmas Day (odds via ; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NBA best bets and all of our top NBA picks for Christmas Day!

Bucks vs. Celtics SGP Picks

  • Celtics first-quarter moneyline (-140)
  • Celtics to win by 1-10 points (+170)
  • Celtics Over 114.5 total points (-120)

Combined Odds: +671

Check out our Christmas Day odds and best bets, picks roundup, and parlay picks.

Bucks vs. Celtics Odds

SGP Predictions for Bucks vs. Celtics

Celtics first-quarter moneyline (-140) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It only makes sense to start at the beginning. The Celtics have been the best team in the league this season, despite faltering with five losses in their last seven games. They have done an excellent job of setting the tone by taking care of business in the opening period.

According to NBA.com, Boston has a net rating of 12.3 in the first quarter. Only the Denver Nuggets are better in the first frame, posting a net rating of 16.2. With this game taking place at home on a holiday, we expect the Celtics to grab an early lead against the Bucks.

This particular prop isn’t the best price on the market, as bettors can also get a -140 line at . But FanDuel allows us to parlay this line with our other two wagers, which is why we are opting to shop there for this SGP.

Check out our Bucks vs. Celtics picks!

Celtics to win by 1-10 points (+170) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now that Boston has taken care of business in the first quarter, we need the home team to finish the job — just not too well. The Celtics are 4.5-point favorites across the board for this game, so keeping this within 10 points would seem reasonable for the best game of the day.

The Celtics have only won five games by 11 or more points since the calendar flipped to December, and haven’t looked as much like a juggernaut compared to the start of the season. They even needed overtime in a four-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 13.

After starting with a -140 prop on this parlay, it is nice to get a +170 leg added for this game. My model projects a 116-110 win for the Celtics, which is what we need to help cash this parlay.

Celtics Over 114.5 total points (-120) ⭐⭐⭐

Since I project 116 points for Boston, it is worth playing the Over on the team total. This is admittedly the scariest leg of the parlay, so I wouldn’t blame anyone for playing the Under instead, especially since NBA games tend to be lower-scoring than expected on Christmas Day.

The Celtics are tied for first in the league with an average of 118.1 points per game. They rank first in offensive efficiency while averaging 15.8 3-pointers per game to rank second in that category. 

This is an offense worth betting on, as Boston scored at least 115 points in each of its last four victories. Considering we believe the Celtics will win this game, FanDuel’s -120 offering feels like a bargain to close out this somewhat correlated same-game parlay.

Bucks-Celtics SGP picks made 12/24/2022 at 12:15 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Shane Jackson
Shane Jackson has been writing for Sportsbook Review since 2022, though his passion for sports, writing, and betting runs much longer than that. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a journalism degree in 2017 and has been covering sports ever since, working for MLB.com, Manhattan Mercury, Lawrence Journal-World, WynnBET, Bet Chicago Sports, BetNOLA, and BetMGM. Jackson cares about creating quality sports betting content above all else. He uses a mixture of models, information, film, analysis, and a top-down approach to locate every best bet shared for SBR. He never gives out a pick that he wouldn’t be willing to spend his own money on. Jackson is focused on finding +EV bets on a daily basis for a variety of sports such as NCAAF, NCAAB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, and MLB. He usually bets on props but is willing to wager on a spread or total when there is an edge. Don’t ask him how many bets he has placed on a typical college football Saturday. Jackson doesn’t care if you follow him on social media, but his Twitter account has info on how you can follow his bets through multiple third-party platforms. He just wants you to read all the great work from the SBR team.