In one of the highest-profile matchups of Monday’s small NBA schedule, the Milwaukee Bucks welcome the Boston Celtics to town for an Eastern Conference duel. There’s a twist, though — superstar big man Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return from a 15-game absence that’s left him sidelined since late January.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Boston is a 2.5-point favorite on the road with -135 odds to win on the Moneyline. The game total is set at just 215.5 combined points.
Here are the top Celtics vs. Bucks prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for this matchup.
Best Celtics vs. Bucks player prop bets
Giannis Antetokounmpo under 7.5 rebounds (-105)
On one hand, I hate to pick against the Greek Freak. Antetokounmpo was posting a season-long average of 28.0 points and 10.0 rebounds a game prior to his most recent injury, seeing his production dip slightly in comparison to recent years due to something of a minutes restriction. However, he was clearly as impactful as ever, also logging a career-best 64.5% FG% in the process. As one of the league’s premier big men and a dominant force on the glass with double-digit boards dating back to the 2017-18 campaign, why would we want to fade his rebounding line at under 7.5?
Simply put, the logic relies on a combination of workload and matchup tonight. As mentioned in the intro, Antetokounmpo’s last game came on January 23, roughly a month and a half ago. While that means he’s had plenty of time to rest up, the team will likely play it safe with his health. He missed a four-game stretch early in the season and played just over 28 minutes in his return, then saw roughly 25 minutes of action in his first two games back following another stretch of eight missed games in December. With his history of soft-tissue injuries this season, the Bucks may very well hold Antetokounmpo to around 24-25 minutes tonight, if not a few fewer.
As for the matchup, the Celtics are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA. Boston ranks sixth in rebounds per game this season with 46.1, but sits second in the stat with 50.3 per contest across the nine outings since Nikola Vucevic was added to the rotation on February 6. Granted, starting center Neemias Queta won’t play tonight, but the C’s are engaged on the glass. That encourages a fade nonetheless for Antetokounmpo’s rebounds assuming he sees his workload limited.
Derrick White over 3.5 three-pointers (+120)
The Celtics will be without star Jaylen Brown tonight, who leads the team with 29.0 PPG and the entire league in FGA with 22.2 per contest. When he doesn’t play, Boston’s guard tandem of Derrick White and Payton Pritchard tend to run wild with additional volume. We’ll focus on the former here since he’s been hot shooting from deep recently, knocking down four or more three-pointers in four consecutive appearances now. White averages 17.1 PPG with 2.9 made threes per game on 8.8 attempts, good for just a 33.0% clip from long range. However, his recent hot streak bodes well for another nice night if combined with the precedent of when Brown misses time, especially in an enticing matchup.
Across six games without Brown in the lineup this season, White sits second on the Celtics in FGA with 18.7 and leads the roster with a staggering 10.2 3PA per game. While his 36.1% mark in those contests isn’t significantly better than his season-long split, the shot volume gets him over tonight’s line with an average of 3.7 made threes. He should fire away from deep, especially against a Bucks unit that can’t seemingly can’t defend the perimeter. Milwaukee allows a 36.6% 3P% to opponents (22nd), 39.4 3PA (27th) and 14.4 3PM (28th). With high volume on deck in a very positive environment, the stage is set for White to keep nailing those shots from deep with another four tonight.
