Bucks vs 76ers Picks & Odds: Antetokounmpo, Embiid Go Toe To Toe In Philly

The Milwaukee Bucks (11-3 SU, 10-4 ATS) head to Wells Fargo Center on Friday to take on the Philadelphia 76ers (7-7, 7-7) in a rematch of the season opener. After starting the year on a nine-game win streak, Milwaukee is 2-3 over its last five outings. Find out if the visitors can start a new streak in our Bucks vs 76ers prediction.

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Bucks vs 76ers Sportsbook Odds

The Sixers somewhat surprisingly opened as the 2.5-point favorite at home with the total set at 219 points. The OVER is 10-5 in the last 15 meetings between the two teams, while Milwaukee has won five of its last six games in Philadelphia – a sign to go with the visitors in your Bucks vs 76ers prediction.

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Bucks Defense Comes Up Clutch Again vs Cavs

The Bucks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 on Wednesday to get back into the win column. Brook Lopez was efficient with 29 points in 30 minutes while Giannis Antetokounmpo had a relatively quiet night with 16 points to go with 12 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell (23 points), Darius Garland (23 points) and Evan Mobley (20 points) each had 20-plus for the Cavs.

With Antetokounmpo leading the charge, you’d think that the Bucks would be an elite offensive team but it’s actually their defensive prowess that has propelled them to such a hot start. Milwaukee is surrendering a stingy 106.4 points per game this season, just behind the Dallas Mavericks (106.3) for the top mark in the NBA.

Embiid Scores Career-High 59 Points Against Jazz

The Sixers picked up their second straight victory on Sunday as they beat the Utah Jazz 105-98. Philadelphia tightened up defensively in the second half, holding Utah to just 41 points through the final two quarters to take the win. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid scored a career-high 59 points – including 26 of his team’s final 27 points.

Embiid, who had 42 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, became just the fourth player in NBA history to score 100 points across a back-to-back along with Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Bradley Beal. The Sixers star is averaging a whopping 40 points through four games played in November and has done so without running mate James Harden, who remains sidelined with a foot strain.

76ers Player Prop: Embiid OVER 32 Points (+146)

Embiid has quite possibly been playing the best basketball of his career over the last week, single-handedly carrying his Sixers to two straight wins. Given that the big man has scored 101 points over his last two games and is averaging 40 points this month, he should be able to hit the OVER on 32.

Bucks: Keys To Win

The Bucks will need to play to their strengths on Friday and home in defensively, especially against Embiid. With Harden out, the Sixers don’t have a ton of offensive weapons outside of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who is having a strong season in his own right. But if Milwaukee can hold Embiid to around 30 points or less, they’ll likely come out with the win.

76ers: Keys To Win

Like the Bucks, the 76ers have been elite defensively this season, ranking third in the NBA at 106.5 points against per game just behind Milwaukee. Embiid, unsurprisingly, has been a huge part of their defensive success, and he’ll likely be relied upon to keep Antetokounmpo at bay while also leading the offensive charge. If Embiid brings his A-game again, the Sixers will be hard to beat.

NBA Computer Pick: Bucks +1.5

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