The Philadelphia 76ers passed their first test without the services of Joel Embiid with flying colors on Sunday when they went out and smashed the San Antonio Spurs to secure the team’s fifth straight win and cover against the closing NBA odds. The challenge will get a wee bit tougher on St. Patty’s Day night when Giannis Antetokounmpo and the white hot Milwaukee Bucks pay the City of Brotherly Love a visit for the team’s first matchup of the 2020-21 season. If the Sixers’ win streak isn’t snapped the night prior versus the New York Knicks, I’m expecting the “Greek Freak” and company to get the job done at online sportsbooks.
This heavyweight Eastern Conference skirmish is set to go down live on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Wells Fargo Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. We'll have NBA odds available at BookMaker.eu for this and every game for Hump Day’s NBA slate.
NBA Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Much will be on the line when these teams lock horns for the first time this season. The Sixers currently possess the top overall playoff seed in the Eastern Conference with the Nets, Bucks and Heat hot on their trail. If Milwaukee was to make up some quick ground in the standings, it’s going to need to take this game. Boding well for Mike Budenholzer’s squad is the fact that they’re playing some of their best ball of the season having rattled off wins in eight of their last nine. The fact that they’re only 5-4 ATS during that stretch and an unfortunate 6-12 ATS overall on the road should have linemakers posting a more palatable number for those interested in backing the visitors in this spot; consider me as one of the interested.
Milwaukee Bucks
While the team’s most recent stretch of quality play hasn’t amounted into many return trips to the betting window to cash tickets, the end results are what Milwaukee should be hanging their collective hat on right now. Since dropping five straight through the middle of February, the team has been playing with its hair on fire. Though it was unable to cover an inflated number at Washington last time out, the team still did its thing outboarding the Wizz 57-41 and dominating the paint. With Embiid out of the mix, it should succeed in both respects once again.
Philadelphia 76ers
Unfortunately the Sixers will be without their big man until at least the end of March. That however didn’t faze them one bit last time out when they pulled away from the Spurs in the second half to log the carefree 134-99 win and cover as 5-point favorites and earn a conference-best 27 wins for the season. In Embiid’s absence, Tobias Harris stepped up huge with a game-high 23 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Philly won the battle of the boards by 22 due to a collective effort and will need the same type of results to compete against tonight’s opponent.
Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia Prediction
Normally when a team’s superstar goes down, it rallies and is able to exceed expectations; especially when it possesses a roster as deep as the 76ers. But as time goes by and the opposition starts getting tougher, negative regression takes its course and the team struggles. I fully expect that scenario to rear its ugly head in this spot against a Milwaukee outfit that’s held the upper hand in the recent rivalry. The Bucks have ousted the 76ers in three of their last four overall meetings and did so by double-digits twice. Sorry, but Tony Bradley just won’t cut it manning the middle against a Bucks squad that prides itself attacking the paint and cleaning the glass. With Embiid riding the pine, Milwaukee will simply have too much beef down low for the undermanned 76ers to contend with. For that reason and the fact that Milwaukee is in a groove and 100 percent healthy, I’ll be backing them in this huge Eastern Conference showdown.
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