Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks Analysis<\/h2>\n
The Bucks finished the 2021-22 campaign with a 51-31 record, which was tied for second place in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee won the head-to-head series 2-1 last season over Philadelphia. This is the first game of the TNT Thursday night doubleheader with tip-off scheduled for 7:30pm ET \/ 4:30pm PT.<\/p>\n
76ers Look To Right The Ship<\/h3>\n
The Philadelphia 76ers started the season off on the wrong foot with a loss to the Eastern Conference Champions in Boston. The 76ers struggled defensively as they allowed 126 points to a defense-minded team in the Celtics.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia did score 117 points on 50-percent shooting from the field and 38.2-percent from beyond the arc. James Harden looked great, while scoring a team-high 35 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Joel Embiid also had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia did play well defensively last season as they ranked eighth in points allowed, however they were middle-of-the-pack at 18th in scoring. The 76ers had the opportunity to shake off some rust on Opening Night which could give them an edge against Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
Bucks Ready For Another Finals Run<\/h3>\n
The Milwaukee Bucks finished the 2021-22 campaign tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, however they failed to defend their title as they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. The Bucks took the Celtics to seven games despite being short-handed without Khris Middleton.<\/p>\n
Milwaukee ranked below-average defensively last season, sitting at 19th in the league with 112.5 points allowed per game. However, they thrived on the offensive end of the court, ranking third in points scored while shooting 46.8-percent from the field and 36.6-percent from three-point land.<\/p>\n
Giannis Antetokounmpo had another MVP-worthy season with an average of 29.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. This organization still has the championship core intact, so anything less than a Finals run will be a disappointment.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction<\/h2>\n
The Philadelphia 76ers are favored over the Milwaukee Bucks by -4 while the total sits at 225. It’s clear these are two evenly-matched teams based on the fact that they had identical records last season with little roster turnover. But alas, we have player props at our disposal.<\/p>\n
The 76ers lack size and speed to deal with a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo and he has taken full advantage with a career average of 14.7 rebounds a game. In that span, Antetokounmpo has had 12 or more rebounds in 12 of 15 games. In three games against Philadelphia last season, Giannis snagged 11, 14 and 16 rebounds for an average of 13.7 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n
On top of that, the Sixers gave up 17 rebounds to the center and power forward positions against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. I fully expect to see a scrappy and motivated Antetokounmpo fly over 11.5 rebounds on Thursday night against a conference rival.<\/p>\n
Prediction: Giannis Antetokounmpo OVER 11.5 Rebounds (-125 at Draftkings)<\/p>\n\n\n
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