Bucks vs 76ers NBA | Philly Star Joel Embiid Positive For COVID

The Philadelphia 76ers will be without superstar Joel Embiid for several games after the All-Star and MVP candidate tested positive for COVID on Monday. The Sixers host the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Let’s take a look at the following analysis to help you place your odds NBA.

How to Bet Milwaukee at Philadelphia NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Tuesday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: TBA (Bucks will be favored)

Season Series

First meeting of the year between the teams. The Bucks enter on a five-game winning streak over the 76ers, which includes a 3-0 season series sweep last season. Milwaukee has not lost a regular season series to Philadelphia in any of the last nine seasons (7 wins, 2 ties).

Why Bet on Milwaukee?

The Bucks were beaten 101-94 at Washington on Sunday, their fifth loss in the past six as they haven’t had their full roster available due to injury/COVID. Star guard Khris Middleton is out due to testing positive for COVID. Middleton posted another impressive season in 2020-21. After a career season in 2019-20, Middleton followed that up by averaging 20.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and a career-high 5.4 assists per game last season while shooting 41.4% from three.

Donte Divincenzo, their projected starting shooting guard, has not played since he injured his left ankle during the playoffs last year. Center Brook Lopez hasn’t played since Oct. 19 with back troubles.

The Bucks shot 39.4% from the floor and 27.8% from three on the evening and tallied just four fastbreak points vs. Washington. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 29 points on 12-of-26 shooting with 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block Sunday.

It was Giannis’ league-high 4^th game of the season with 25/10/5. Antetokounmpo, who is 2nd in the NBA in scoring (27.3 ppg), ninth in blocks per game (1.7), 10th in rebounding (11.1 rpg) and tied for 17th in assists per game (6.0), is one of only two players in the league (N. Jokić) averaging 25+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists so far this season. With five assists on Sunday, Antetokounmpo (2,692) also passed Sidney Moncrief (2,689) for 2nd on the Bucks’ all-time assists list. He’s now chasing Paul Pressey who is the franchise leader with 3,272 assists.

Grayson Allen scored 19 points in the loss. Allen has been a pleasant surprise for the Bucks as he has started every game this season. Allen is averaging 14.5 points per game on 43.2% shooting from the floor and 40.0% from three with 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Allen has now reached double figures in scoring in all but one game this season after doing so in just 48% of his games last season (24/50).

Why Bet on Philadelphia?

It’s the second of a back-to-back for the Sixers after hosing the Knicks on Monday. Superstar Joel Embiid was going to sit that one out regardless but then it became known he tested positive for COVID on Monday morning so he’s out at least 10 days, per the NBA’s health and safety protocols. That would mean that Embiid would miss at least five games. He was coming off easily his best offensive performance of the young season (30 points on 11 of 19, including 4 of 5 from three) in another impressive win over the Bulls on Saturday.

Embiid, who is averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and a career-high 4.0 assists in nine games, is the fourth 76er currently in the health and safety protocols, joining forward Tobias Harris and guards Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said last week Harris was: “Doing okay but not great, honestly. It’s the most I’m going to say about it, but it hit him for sure. A lot of guys have had this and they are mad like, what the hell, I’m fine. Tobias is not in that category right now, I can tell you that.”

Throughout the organization, other staffers have already begun to receive booster shots of the vaccine, with players expected to start getting booster shots this week. Without Embiid, Andre Drummond will start and Paul Reed should continue to play key minutes. Other center options include Georges Niang and rookie Charles Bassey.

Guys like Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz, and Georges Niang will be leaned on more heavily and will continue to make their case why they deserve these lengthy minutes.

Ben Simmons (personal reasons) remains out as he pushes for a trade. The Boston Celtics have engaged in conversations with the 76ers and have expressed interest in Simmons. The deal would have to involve Jaylen Brown coming from Boston.