Philadelphia at Milwaukee
Time: 8:30 PM (CT) ESPN
Spread: EVEN
Total: 224.5

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Philadelphia 76ers fell to 2-2 last night with its one-point overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons. Now on the second night of a back-to-back, Philly visits the Milwaukee Bucks in a game with EVEN odds according to NBA oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes. The over/under is set at 224.5 points for the game which will air at 8:30 PM (CT) on ESPN.

PHI

Philadelphia is (likely) without Ben Simmons, who is nursing a sore back. He is listed as day-to-day, but the Sixers really could use his services after exhausting several key players in last night’s overtime loss.

Joel Embiid has been sensational and should be prepped for his first All-Star appearance in 2019 after narrowly missing out last year. He is averaging 29.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.25 blocks per game while posting a team-best PER of 28.0. J.J. Redick has been playing some of the best ball of his career, despite missing key free throws last night. The Duke legend is averaging 21.8 points per game and making it further difficult to justify playing the erratic and inconsistent Markelle Fultz.

Fultz, while too early to say definitively, hardly looks like the No. 1 overall pick he was two years ago. He is shooting just 40.5 percent from the floor and averaging under 10 points per game despite getting 25 minutes a night. The Sixers will be wise to try to milk more from power forward Dario Saric, who almost seems like a forgotten star in the mix with Simmons and Embiid.

Saric is averaging just 11.5 points per game, and he is shooting 33 percent from the floor and 25 percent from behind the arc. In order for Philly to maintain itself with Simmons out, it is going to absolutely need more production from Saric, as well as hoping Fultz somehow figures it out. That is simply because Redick and Embiid are already maxing their respective talents, and Robert Covington is mostly relied upon as a wing defender. Sure, Covington gives the Sixers 14 points per game, but to expect much more is unlikely and Philly really is getting enough offense already at 115.5 points per game as a team.

Defensively, the tale has been different, as the Sixers narrowly escaped a loss to lowly Orlando simply because its defense was so porous. In that game, Nikola Vucevic posted a triple-double and the Magic fell shy on a three from Terrence Ross on the buzzer. If not for the quick hands of Covington deflecting the shot, the Sixers would have a losing record right now possibly.

MIL

The Milwaukee Bucks are 3-0 after knocking off Charlotte, Indiana and New York thus far. The story for Milwaukee has been the dominance of its two stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton. Middleton, in particular, seems to be making the leap from a “fringe All-Star” (with no appearances yet) to a true superstar. He is averaging 24 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while posting a team-best PER of 25.6. Giannis has been typical of himself with 27.3 points, 16 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Outside of that pairing, the Bucks have received solid play from Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon, and center Brook Lopez.

Milwaukee actually has decent depth, particularly with the addition of Villanova rookie Donte DiVicenzo who eventually could become a major candidate for Sixth Man of the Year awards, in upcoming seasons. He is averaging just 5.7 points in his 20 minutes a night, but looking very sharp on the defensive end while mostly avoiding heavy rookie mistakes. His energy, if nothing else, has certainly been there. Ersan Ilyasova is not the statistical monster he was in his first stint in Milwaukee, but he is one of the better pick and roll defenders and his outside shooting off the bench is crucial.

The Bucks seemingly have all the components of a great team, and it is certainly better off without Jason Kidd muddling things up on the sidelines. This game ultimately should end up being claimed by the Bucks due to their hot start and homecourt advantage.

While Philly is arguably the better team on paper, this is a game that Middleton and Antetokounmpo may seek to make a statement in, as many continually overlook this enigmatic Bucks team.