The Bucks and 76ers face off in what was one of the more anticipated season openers of the NBA season, but early injury news on the Philly side has taken away some of the hype. Both Joel Embiid and Paul George have been ruled out for this one, causing massive line movement, as well as overwhelming splits favoring Milwaukee.
The Bucks opened 4.5-point underdogs in this game, but as of Wednesday morning, are priced as 3.5-point favorites. As I publish this article, 95% of the handle on the spread and 91% of the handle of the moneyline is on the Bucks, according to our betting splits on DK Network. The Bucks will clearly be a popular bet, as will Tyrese Maxey props with the absence of his star teammates. But I’m going to another prop on the Philly side of the game.
Andre Drummond OVER Rebounds (+110) — 1-unit
Drummond will fill in for Embiid starting at center for the Sixers in the opener. While Drummond has become an NBA journeyman due to his traditional big man skillset, he still does one thing at an elite level that every NBA team can use — rebounding. At this stage of his career, Drummond is playing in a backup role, however, when he does get the opportunity to play a larger role, he has cleaned the glass.
In 10 starts for the Bulls last season, Drummond averaged 17.9 boards per game in 29.3 minutes. He had at least 15 rebounds in nine of those 10 games, so while the number appears high, Drummond had a 90% cash rate on it as a starter in 2023-24. That includes games of 23, 25 and 26 boards, so there’s some high upside here.
Rookie Adem Bona is the only other true center on Philly’s roster, so going up against a Milwukee team with a lot of size, Drummond should see plenty of run if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app on Apple or Google!
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
