The Philadelphia 76ers (51-30) and Milwaukee Bucks (44-37) will battle at Wells Fargo Center to kick off their Eastern Conference schedules. Action begins at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview
The Bucks beat the Orlando Magic in their last contest, 102-86. With 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, Eric Bledsoe led the way for Milwaukee with his zeroth triple-double of the season. Milwaukee played a flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 24.0 (above their season average of 20.3) and a turnover percentage of 13.9 (worse than their season average of 12.3). Orlando put up marks of 10.2 and 17.3, respectively, for those same stats.
In the 76ers’ last game, they beat the Atlanta Hawks, 121-113. Ersan Ilyasova played well for Philadelphia, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds. Philadelphia dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 26.2 (above their season average of 25.2) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.592 (above their season average of 0.534). For those same stats, Atlanta was 15.7 and 0.485, respectively.
Conflicting tempos will be on display in this meeting. Philadelphia has preferred an up-tempo style of play (fourth in possessions per game), while Milwaukee has been more methodical (25th in possessions per game). Additionally, the Bucks rank fifth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.221), while the 76ers rank 28th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.219).
Of Milwaukee’s 81 games, 45 have finished over the O/U total, while 40 of Philadelphia’s 80 games have finished under the O/U total. The 76ers hold a significant advantage in terms of straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 51-30 SU and 47-33 ATS, while the Bucks are 44-37 SU and 35-41-5 ATS.
The Bucks’ Bledsoe (25.6 points, 6.4 assists and 2.0 steals) and Jabari Parker (16.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals) have been playing well over their last five games. Meanwhile, the 76ers have received solid contributions from Ilyasova (13.6 points and 10.0 rebounds) and JJ Redick (22.0 points).
These two teams have already met three times this year, with the Bucks winning two. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 35 points in the most recent contest, in which the Bucks defeated the 76ers 118-110, covering as 1-point underdogs. He also recorded nine rebounds and seven assists. The two teams combined to put up 228 points, which was 19 points above the projected point total of 209 points. Milwaukee had a much better turnover percentage (11.0 vs. 24.6). Philadelphia, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of converting from the free throw line (18-22; 81.8 percent).
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Prediction
NBA Tip: SU Winner – 76ers, ATS Winner – 76ers, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The 76ers rank fifth in second chance points per game (13.6) while the Bucks rank 27th (10.5).
- Philadelphia ranks 12th in three pointers attempted per game (29.7) while Milwaukee ranks 25th (24.7).
- Philadelphia ranks first in points allowed in the paint per game (41.5) while Milwaukee ranks 21st (47.0).
- Milwaukee is third in the league with 9.9 fast break points allowed per game while Philadelphia is fourth with 10.3 fast break points allowed per game.
- On the road, Milwaukee is 22-16-2 ATS with 23 overs, 16 unders and 1 push.
- At home, Philadelphia is 26-13 ATS with 21 unders, 17 overs and 1 push.
- In games where they allow below 100 points, Philadelphia is 21-0 and Milwaukee is 17-5.
- In games where they score above 100 points, the Bucks are 38-20 and the 76ers are 48-18.
- The Bucks rank fifth in blocks per game (5.4) while the 76ers rank 21st in blocks allowed per game (5.1).
- Philadelphia ranks first in rebounds per game (47.3) while Milwaukee ranks last (39.8).
- The Bucks rank second in points off turnovers per game (18.3) while the 76ers rank 27th in points off turnovers allowed per game (18.5).
- The 76ers average 27.0 assists per game, which ranks second in the league. The Bucks rank 14th in assists allowed per game (23.5).
- Milwaukee ranks second in steals per game (8.8) while Philadelphia ranks 24th in steals allowed per game (8.5).
Bettings Trends:
- Philadelphia is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Milwaukee is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The 76ers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 11.0, up from 4.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Bucks have scored an average of 111.8 points per game (5.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 107.4 points per game (0.9 above their season average).
