Boston at Milwaukee, it's a late season exhibition game

[fearless]

Anyone betting on this game? If so, how are you handicapping it? I think it's a late season exhibition game, does anyone see this game differently and why?

These are the two teams that Bill Simmons has singled out as being in ultra tank mode:

"The Bucks will not win another game this season"

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/entry?id=2817414&searchName=simmons

Friday: The "Who can tank the most egregiously for Oden and Durant?" contest begins in earnest with Philly hosting the Celtics (playing without Paul Pierce); Charlotte hosting Milwaukee (or as you can start calling the Bucks through April, "The Washington Generals"); and Memphis playing against a Seattle team that's having its tanking efforts thwarted by an unabashed contract push from Rashard Lewis (buyers beware!). If gambling were legal, I'd be wagering against the Celtics and Bucks for the rest of the season. But it's not.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/entry?id=2819159&searchName=simmons

[bigboydan]

The title pretty much says it all

Needless to say I'm passing on that game.

[babaoriley]

Rainbow, I've been all over this angle for the past 10-12 days. This is a game you pass on. Neither team really wants to win, but Milwaukee has an obligation to give its fans some excitement. Milwaukee is without Bogut and Villanueve and will limit Redd's minutes. Boston is without Pierce and I'm convinced that the NBA will see to it that Boston gets Oden or Durant. It's the CELTICS. That franchise needs an infusion of relevance. On the other hand, Milwaukee -6.5??? Strange line for a very strange game. Wouldn't even think about touching it unless there was an +/- for total turnovers, in which case I'd go over.

[babaoriley]

Oh, and sorry if I came across as being prickish. I was just saying that I've been on this angle for longer than (or at least as long as) Simmons, and I've made some decent coin fading the Bucks. However, this is a home game and I think the onus is on the Bucks to give their home crowd a decent showing.

At gunpoint, I take Boston +6.5 with Milwaukee winning by 2-5. Boston can;t telegraph its tank efforts so they'll play hard for about 44 minutes.