The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in a matchup tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Neither of these teams got off to the start of the season they desired but the Bucks have done a much better job turning things around. Milwaukee sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-17 on the season. In contrast, Philadelphia has dropped to 15-25 after last night’s loss to the Pacers and sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid remains out for at least another week and Paul George’s status is uncertain after missing last night’s game which headlines their lengthy list of injuries.
The Bucks enter this game as 12.5-point favorites and -800 on the Moneyline. The Sixers hold +550 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 223.5.
Best Giannis Antetokounmpo Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Antetokounmpo’s props are listed at over/under 29.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.5 made three-pointers and 47.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 29.5 Points (-120)
So far this season Giannis Antetokoumpo is averaging 31.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists across his 34.8 minutes per game. The two-time MVP has recorded over 29.5 points in 22 of the 34 games he has played on the season.
He has a great opportunity to build off this against a Sixers defense that has looked increasingly disconnected as the season has progressed. Overall they rank 11th in opponents’ points per game, are 18th in opponents’ points in the paint, and rank 29th in opponents’ field goal percentage.
Antetokounmpo has changed up his shot diet this season and has completely cut out settling for three-pointers. He is attempting 0.8 three-point attempts per game this season which is his fewest since the 2014-15 season. Instead, he attacks the rim with a relentless intensity and has a combination of size and strength the Sixers will be incapable of matching.
While he was held to 25 points against the Sixers in the first matchup of the season, he added 14 rebounds and seven assists in a game that ended up a comfortable 15-point victory and did not require a strong scoring output. Injury issues in Philadelphia have only worsened since this point. Philadelphia lacks the rim protection to stop Antetokounmpo so expect him to have a field day against this youthful and injured roster. Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond have each already been ruled out and Guerschon Yabusele is also listed as questionable which means they could be without their top three big-man options. The Greek Freak dropped 35 points on Friday and has reached this total in three of the past five games. Count on him remaining in attack mode and recording over 29.5 points again tonight.
Giannis Antetokounmpo 55+ Points, Rebounds, & Assists (+240)
The Bucks superstar is averaging 49.3 combined points, rebounds, and assists so far this season. He has recorded 55+ combined points, rebounds, and assists in nine games this season.
The biggest concern with him reaching this level of output is if the game turns into a blowout. Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the clear-cut best player on the floor, especially with the Sixers injuries. Philadelphia rolled out a starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, and Ricky Council IV last night. Their injury issues further worsed with Drummond already being ruled out for tonight’s game. Caleb Martin, Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, KJ Martin, and Kyle Lowry remain out while Paul George and Guerschon Yabusele are questionable.
There comes a point where Philadelphia will simply lack the amount of competent NBA bodies available. Philadelphia ranks 14th in opponent rebounds allowed on the season and has been outrebounded by 10+ boards in four of the past five games.
Expect Antetokounmpo to have his fingerprints all over this game and lead the charge statically. Look for a dominant output on the boards and as a scorer and for the NBA Champion to be perfectly comfortable as a playmaker if the Sixers start sending multiple defenders in his direction. The +240 odds rightfully indicate this is a big swing, but don’t be shocked if this ends up being his best statistical output of the season against an injured and inferior opponent.
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