Milwaukee vs Philadelphia | NBA Odds Analysis and Betting Picks

The marquee matchup around the NBA on Tuesday is clearly Milwaukee at Philadelphia, a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview if the bracket works out right. The NBA odds will be determined by a few injuries.

How to Bet Bucks at Sixers NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Tuesday, 7 PM ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center
TV: NBA League Pass
Stream: NBA.com, NBA TV app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: TBA

Season Series

The teams have split two meetings this season and last played on Feb. 17 in Milwaukee, a 123-120 Sixers win. Joel Embiid had 42 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and the 76ers regrouped after squandering a 15-point lead. Embiid put the 76ers ahead for good at 117-116 with a 10-footer with 2:32 left. James Harden had yet to make his Sixers debut. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks. After trailing by 15 early in the third quarter, the Bucks clawed back and took their first lead since the second period on Jrue Holiday’s 3-pointer with 5:47 left. Antetokounmpo’s 3-pointer extended the advantage to 116-112 with 3:56 remaining. But the 76ers scored the next eight points to pull back ahead for good.

Why Bet on Milwaukee?

The Bucks rarely get blown out but they were schooled on Saturday in Memphis, 127-102, even though the Grizzlies were without superstar Ja Morant. Jrue Holiday, who had led Milwaukee in scoring the last two games, sat out with left ankle soreness.

Over his last five games, Holiday is averaging 23.0 points, 6.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 52.9% overall and 41% from three. He should be back for this one. This season, Holiday is shooting a career-high 50.6% from the field and a career-high 41.5% from three (10th in NBA), in addition to averaging 18.6 ppg and 6.7 apg (T-14th in NBA).

Giannis Antetokounmpo (right knee soreness) returned from a one-game absence and tallied a game-high 30 points along with 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. There could be another rest day or two in Giannis’ future for Milwaukee’s remaining eight games but probably not Tuesday. Giannis also passed Stephon Marbury for No. 92 on the all-time free throw attempts list. By averaging 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists per game this season, Antetokounmpo is one of just two players in the

league averaging 25/10/5 this season, along with the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić, and is on track to average those numbers for the fourth consecutive season.

Khris Middleton (left wrist soreness) returned from a two-game absence on Saturday night and was just 5-for-16 for 16 points. Middleton passed Vin Baker for 11th place on the Bucks’ career rebounding list. Baker had 3,080. On the season, Middleton is averaging more than 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists per game, making him one of only 16 players in the NBA this season averaging 20/5/5.

Pat Connaughton is averaging 15.0 points per game and shooting 48.1% from the field and 45.8% from three in four games since returning from a hand injury that forced him to miss 13 games. Overall this season, Connaughton is averaging a career-high 10.3 ppg and shooting a career-best 41.1% from three (13th in NBA).

Milwaukee is now 10-4 since the All-Star break.

Why Bet on Philadelphia?

The Sixers lost 114-104 in Phoenix on Sunday in a potential NBA Finals preview. Devin Booker scored 35 points, Chris Paul had 19 points and 14 assists and the NBA-leading Suns won their eighth straight game,

“That is the best team in the league for a reason,” Philly star Joel Embiid said. “They’ve got a bunch of great players who play well together. They are connected offensively and defensively, they don’t get rattled.”

Embiid posted a monster line during Sunday’s loss with 37 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Embiid continued his MVP campaign with his fourth straight double-double and his third straight game with multiple blocks. He did briefly leave the court after rolling his ankle in the third quarter, but he returned during the fourth so monitor that.

Tobias Harris scored 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting with eight rebounds. Harris has really found a groove lately, shooting over 50% from the floor in four straight games.

James Harden struggled from the floor on Sunday, shooting 2-for-11 to score 14 points with nine assists and seven rebounds. Harden said in the postgame press conference that he needs to be more aggressive because he can’t only be shooting 11 shots. Harden needed just one assist to break his tie with Kobe Bryant for the sole possession of the 32nd spot on the all-time assists list.

This season with the 76ers, Harden has averaged 22.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. Besides his scoring behind down from his career 25.0 points per game his numbers on the surface look solid at 32 years old. But he’s shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 34.8 percent on 3-pointers. Both shooting percentages are below his career averages.

With about eight-and-a-half minutes to go in the fourth, Alaa Abdelnaby on the broadcast noted that Harden was grabbing at his hamstring area. And he was. He didn’t come out of the game, but he looked limited out there. Doc Rivers said The Beard’s hamstring is “not there yet” but the team hopes it will be by playoff time.

“His miles per hour have increased. He’s … almost to the level of Houston as far as his miles per hour. He’s reached his top speed he hasn’t reached in two years. He’s still a work in progress. But [in] three weeks, we really feel at the time, he’ll be there at 100%,” Rivers said.