NBA odds, picks, best bets for Tuesday

The top dogs of the NBA‘s Eastern Conference meet up in a Tuesday night matchup as the struggling Milwaukee Bucks look to hold their spot as the No. 2 seed.

Meanwhile, the Celtics are on a mission this season to return to the NBA Finals and win their first championship since 2008.

They enter Tuesday’s game in Milwaukee on a five-game winning streak and currently sit a whopping 15 games ahead of the Bucks, who are in the midst of their worst slump of the season.

Let’s take a closer look at this nationally televised matchup (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) and make a prediction.

Celtics vs. Bucks odds

Celtics vs. Bucks prediction

(7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

While both teams have playoff spots secured, Milwaukee needs to keep winning to stave off the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks, both just a game behind in the East’s playoff seeding race.

Both squads benefitted massively from offseason pickups. The Celtics secured big man Kristaps Porzingis, and the Bucks added 3-point shooting with lethal guard Damian Lillard.

Porzingis has added another layer of scoring for the Celtics and contributes more than 20 points per game, helping the Celtics on their dominant run this season.

Likewise, Lillard has been an exceptional pickup for the Bucks in both scoring and assists. In fact, he has turned it on in recent weeks, averaging more than 25 points in his last 10.

However, it hasn’t resulted in many victories for the Bucks, who have dropping four straight and six of their last seven.

Three of those defeats came against the Wizards, Grizzlies and Raptors — teams that have combined to win just 29% of their games this season. Their last was a 122-109 home loss to the Knicks on Sunday in a game all of their starters played.

That doesn’t mean they enter Tuesday’s matchup completely healthy. The Bucks continue to be banged up heading into the final stretch of the season.

While MarJon Beauchamp and Patrick Beverley are listed as out won’t be a huge factor, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo are probable and questionable, respectively.

Even if Middleton and Antetokounmpo suit up, they could be limited as the team attempts to get healthy before the start of the playoffs.

This could provide opportunity for Lillard, who shoots an impressive 49.1 percent against the Celtics. However, is he enough to take down a loaded squad with multiple 20-point contributors?

On the other side, the Celtics are quite healthy for this time of year, although Al Horford and Porzingis are both listed as questionable.

If the full array of the Celtics lineup is available, I don’t see much opportunity for the Bucks in this matchup. The Celtics have been trending up to finish the year while the Bucks couldn’t be playing any worse.

Betting on the NBA?

Celtics vs. Bucks pick

Sharp NBA bettors will see that the Celtics actually have a winning record against the spread (ATS) both at home and on the road. This could lend nicely with Boston as two-point favorites.

If you’re concerned about the Celtics recent five games ATS (2-3), note that they have been immense favorites in four of them. At the professional level, it can be difficult to cover spreads approaching 20 points, no matter the opponent.

That’s why I like the Celtics at -2. You earn more money than a moneyline and only need a three-point win or more. And with these teams trending the way they have been, Boston to cover is the bet.

Pick: Celtics -2 (-108, FanDuel)