Can the reigning champions slow down MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid?
Now the trade deadline has passed, the NBA regular season continues tonight with a cracker between two Eastern Conference powerhouses. The Milwaukee Bucks travel to the 76ers in their final game before the All-Star break.
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The Bucks enter the game sitting third in the Eastern conference - two games out from the first seed. After acquiring Serge Ibaka from the Clippers, the Bucks are searching for a rhythm ahead of the playoffs.
Whilst the 76ers are hoping newly-acquired James Harden can fire them up the rankings in the East with a win against the Bucks. They enter this game only one game behind tonight’s opponents.
Let’s look ahead to this regular season matchup and see the best bets for the game.
All of the odds and props for this game have been brought to you by BetMGM and are correct at the time of writing.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds and essential betting info
Game: Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers
Competition: NBA Regular Season
Kick-off: 02/17/2022 8.30pm ET
Venue: Fiserv Forum
Moneyline odds: Milwaukee Bucks (-275) | Philadelphia 76ers (+220) | Tie (N/A)
Spread: Milwaukee Bucks (-6.5) | Philadelphia 76ers (+6.5)
Over/under: 223.5 combined total points | Over: -220 | Under: -220
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks remain a strong favorite to retain their NBA title this year. They currently sit with a 36-23 record, and third in the Eastern Conference behind the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. The Bucks’ dominance is reflected by their -275 odds for tonight’s game.
An important reason for the Bucks success is how well coached they are. Each player knows their role but they are led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is almost tying his season-best in average points per game at 29.4, so we think an over on 30.5 points scored at -105.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, much like the Milwaukee Bucks, are enjoying a successful season up to this point. They are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-23 record, and a potential playoff first-round matchup with tonight’s opponents later in the season is a possibility. For tonight’s game they are the underdog at +220.
Whilst the Milwaukee Bucks have Giannis, the 76ers place their hopes in the aforementioned Joel Embiid. He is an MVP frontrunner, and with MGM, you can get odds of +150 for him to take home the award in June. His MVP contention has come from his ability to dominate the paint every night. He’s averaging a career-high in points (29.3), assists (4.5), and steals (1) per game. We expect another big game, and MGM’s parlay of Giannis 30+ points, Embiid 30+ points and over 223.5 points in the game seems a nice bet at +325.
Key players
The key player for the Bucks is the aforementioned Giannis. Everything the Bucks do well on offense goes through Giannis, but some other members of the Bucks roster have impressed this season. Khris Middleton is one of these individuals. He has been reliable for many years on the roster, and though his 3-point % is down in 2021, he still has the ability to take over a game. We suggest an outside shot parlay of Giannis 2+ three-pointers, Middleton 2+ three-pointers, Jrue Holiday 2+ three-pointers and a Buck win at +500.
On the 76ers side, Joel Embiid is the man to watch. We’ve already mentioned his incredible stats in the article, but he truly can win games by himself. Besides Embiid, the 76ers can rely on Tobias Harris. The versatile forward is an efficient shooter, but his ability to sniff out rebounds goes under the radar. A punt on Harris to have 7.5+ rebounds at +100 is what we suggest.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers- Notable stats
- The Bucks have scored at least 128 points in four of their last six, and these two teams combined to score 227 points when they met on November 9 (without Embiid).
- The Sixers are 2-5 against the spread in their last 7 games.
- Milwaukee is 5-1 both straight-up and against the spread in its last six meetings with Philadelphia
- The Sixers are also just 6-19 against the spread when facing teams that make at least 14.0 threes per game since the start of last season.
- The Bucks are 20-10 at home, whilst the 76ers are 18-10 on the road.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers - Last meeting - How the bets went
11/09/2021 | Wells Fargo Center | Milwaukee Bucks 119 @ Philadelphia 76ers: 109 | NBA Regular Season
The Milwaukee Bucks came out on top against a short-handed 76ers team when these sides met in November. The 76ers were without Joel Embiid in the reverse fixture, so the Milwaukee Bucks cashed in as favorites.
Our prediction
This game is going to be fantastic. The Philadelphia 76ers are due a big offensive performance after they were held to 87 points by the Boston Celtics. Though they will be looking to rectify the awful performance against Boston, the Bucks won’t allow a pushover victory for the 76ers. Therefore, the Bucks should win the game and cover the spread in the process at -110.
Overall, we think the Bucks get the win over the 76ers, continue their push for the first-seed, and cash in at -275 favorites.
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