Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

NBA regular season action will resume on Thursday night with a heavyweight Eastern Conference clash between the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. Coverage begins from Wells Fargo Center in South Philly at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Updated on 04/16/2024

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MILWAUKEE BUCKS vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING PREDICTION

The Sixers earned the fourth seed in the East with a record of 51-31 last season, as Philly caught the short-end of the stick in a three-way-tie for second place with Boston and Milwaukee. Their first postseason trip following the acquisition of James Harden came to a disappointing conclusion in the second round. But this squad was clearly feeling the fatigue of a very high-paid player sitting out all season, so it’s tough to blame them for running out of gas down the homestretch. However, there’s no excuse for the lack of defense they displayed on opening night, as the Sixers surrendered 126 PTS on 56% FG in a nine-point loss to Boston this past Tuesday.

The Bucks, on the other hand, also finished 51-31 last year, but Milwaukee wound up with the third seed in the East after going 2-1 against Philly in their three-game regular season set. However, Milwaukee usurped a similarly heartbreaking fate, as the Bucks fell to Boston in a seven-game conference semi-final series despite entering Game 6 in Milwaukee with a 3-2 lead.

I’ll take the over here, as the Sixers looked lost at the defensive end during their 126-117 road loss to Boston on opening night, so I expect to see another high-scoring battle in Thursday’s matchup against a Bucks squad that ranked third in the league in scoring and fourth in offensive rating last season (114 PPG, 115.1 ORtg), especially with these squads clearing that number in all three of last year’s meetings.

Score Prediction: Sixers 118, Bucks 114
Best Bet: Over 225 (-110)

MILWAUKEE BUCKS vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING ODDS

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MILWAUKEE BUCKS vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022
Matchup: Central vs. Atlantic
Venue: Wells Fargo Center
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Time-TV: TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET

MILWAUKEE BUCKS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Bucks finished third in the East with a record of 51-31 last season, which tied Miami and Philadelphia for the second-best record in the conference. However, it always felt like Milwaukee was operating at a slightly higher level than its 51-31 counterparts, as the Bucks finished the year ranked third in scoring and fourth in offensive rating, while Miami and Philly both ranked outside the Top 10 in both departments.

As long as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s reign continues for Milwaukee, the Bucks should almost always serve as a legitimate threat to the Eastern Conference crown. But with most of the top teams in the conference reloading with shooters and extra defensive help, I worry about the Bucks’ ability to keep up with some of these three-point centric offenses moving forward, however, things typically work out just fine for this squad.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Ben Simmons isn’t exactly a franchise player, however, due to the nature of the league’s economic structure, it still costs a huge chunk of a team’s annual budget to roster a player of Simmons’ caliber, which in turn, means less money to go around for supporting pieces.

In most scenarios, paying hefty prices for star players has proven beneficial. However, it can also carry the opposite effect in cases of significant injury, or in Philly’s case, Simmons simply deciding not to play, which in turn, leaves an enormous hole in the rotation and thrusts a handful of low-budget role pieces into playing meaningful minutes.

James Harden might not be the MVP caliber player we saw back in Houston, but at least he’s out on the floor for Philly, and he played excellent in Boston on opening night, as Harden erupted for 35 PTS on 9-14 FG in a loss this past Tuesday. It didn’t quite pan out in their first matchup of the year, but if the Sixers continue to receive that level of production from him, this might be the most dangerous team in the East.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS vs. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BETTING TRENDS

• The Bucks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 12 games.
• The Bucks are 2-4 SU in their last six games.
• The Sixers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games.
• The total has gone UNDER in eight of Philadelphia's last 12 games.
• The Sixers are 2-5 SU in their last seven games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of Philadelphia's last five home games.
• The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against Philadelphia.
• The Bucks are 7-1 SU in their last eight games against Philadelphia.
• The total has gone UNDER in five of Milwaukee's last six road games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of the last five matchups between the Bucks and Sixers.
• The total has gone OVER in six of Milwaukee's last seven road games against Philadelphia.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson