In the marquee matchup of Friday’s seven-game NBA slate, the reigning champion Boston Celtics will try to stall the red-hot Milwaukee Bucks’ momentum as they welcome Milwaukee to TD Garden for a 7:30 p.m. ET contest.
The Celtics have shown no signs of a championship hangover as they seek to become the first team to repeat as champions since the dynasty Golden State Warriors. Although Boston would be merely the second seed in the Eastern Conference if the season ended today, the Celtics sit at 18-4, the best record of any defending champion through 22 games since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. Forward Jayson Tatum has not missed a beat, averaging 28.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists as he seeks his first MVP award.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Boston (-355) is a sizable favorite and the point total is set to 227.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around the Celtics’ leading man.
Best Jayson Tatum Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jayson Tatum 45+ Points + Rebounds + Assists (+145)
Tatum’s scoring prowess has more or less plateaued, as he’s averaged between 26 and 30 points per game in each of the last five seasons. But his game has continued to expand in other ways, as he’s grown particularly as a playmaker. This season has quietly been his best as a passer: his assist percentage is up to 25.5% and his 5.6 dimes per game is a career high.
Tonight’s matchup against the Bucks will present Tatum with an opportunity to put up huge stat totals against a very average Milwaukee defense. In particular, the Bucks have struggled to defend the boards, giving up 45.5 rebounds per game, the fifth-worst rate in the league. For a Celtics team missing center Kristaps Porzingis due to knee injury management, Tatum should have plenty of opportunities to dominate the glass. He might also command a larger share of the offense tonight, as his usage rate dipped slightly in the four games that Porzingis has played.
The wild card in this game is the likely injury return of Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton. Throughout his 12-year career, the three-time All-Star has been a mostly average defender, but returning to face Tatum after undergoing surgery on both ankles is going to be challenging. The Bucks defense will probably benefit from Middleton’s return in the long run, but expecting him to slow down Tatum in his first game back would be a fool’s errand.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
