Tonight’s game between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks features quite a concerning injury report. For Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo is out; for Boston, Jrue Holiday (questionable), Jaylen Brown (questionable) and Sam Hauser (questionable) all appear on the injury report. So is Jrue Holiday playing tonight? Let’s dive into the latest Jrue Holiday injury update to discuss his odds of playing and make a prediction as to how that will affect today’s Celtics game against the Bucks. If you’re hungry for more picks, check out our NBA betting tools or our NBA betting promos! You can also check out my guide to NBA player prop betting.
Jrue Holiday Injury Update: Is Boston’s Star Playing Wednesday?
Jrue Holiday Injury Update | Wednesday, March 20
The Boston Celtics are in quite a favorable position. They’re 10 games ahead of the next-best team in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks, with just 14 games left on the docket. So while Boston still has something left to play for, we’re at a point in the year where the team can afford to rest players here and there. Despite their injury report, the Celtics are a 10.5-point home favorite.
We’ve already seen the Celtics start to roll out their late-season load management strategy. Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday missed Boston’s most recent game, a date with Detroit. Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White got a night off versus the Wizards the game before that one.
Holiday appears on the injury report with a right AC joint sprain, which is a shoulder injury. He missed Boston’s last game, which was the first of a back-to-back, with the same injury designation. The veteran guard has missed just seven games all season.
Boston has worked hard to hold such a lead over their Eastern Conference foes, and they’re able to enjoy the spoils late in the year. Expect more nights off for their star players as the playoffs approach, especially once the Celtics lock up the No. 1 seed.
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Is Jrue Holiday Playing on Wednesday? | Bucks-Celtics Prediction
It’s unclear if Jrue Holiday will play against his former team on Wednesday. On the one hand, Boston doesn’t have to play again Friday, so this isn’t like Holiday is getting a night off in anticipation of a game tomorrow. On the other hand, Boston will play on both Friday and Saturday, so the Celtics could be limiting him in advance of having him appear in both games.
It’s also possible that the Celtics are just reducing Holiday’s workload as they advance toward locking up the No. 1 seed in the East. There is little incentive to risk an injury to their 33-year-old point guard at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sit any time he appears on the injury report.
To take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding Holiday, Brown and Hauser, it may prove wise to back Brown on the player prop markets. Brown is averaging only 3.7 assists per game but that number jumps to 4.6 when he plays without Holiday. Brown is also averaging 5.5 assists per game versus the Bucks on the year, going over once with eight and barely staying under the 3.5 with three in their next meeting. Sure, there’s a chance that Brown sits and this bet voids, but it’s worth a half-unit wager at today’s plus-money price.
Bucks-Celtics Prediction: Jaylen Brown Over 3.5 Assists +124 at DraftKings
