7:05 pm
April 22

76ers @ Bucks

Who will WIN this matchup?

Philadelphia 76ers (39-19)

@ Milwaukee Bucks (35-22)

 

Current odds:

Philadelphia 76ers: (+230)

Milwaukee Bucks: (-290)

 

• The line for this game is Bucks by 7 points.

• The Philadelphia 76ers’ difficult stretch will continue in the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday night. With several starters out, the Sixers suddenly have become vulnerable. They will try to avoid a three-game losing streak when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers (39-19) received 38 points and 17 rebounds from Joel Embiid but fell 116-113 to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. To be fair, the Sixers played without Ben Simmons (illness), Seth Curry (hip) and Tobias Harris (knee). It’s unclear whether these three starters will be available against the Bucks. Rivers said he didn’t expect Simmons to travel with the team to Milwaukee.

• Rivers has been a head coach long enough to understand that in a marathon regular season — especially one played during a pandemic) — every team goes through a series of games with illness and injuries.

• If the three starters aren’t healthy and Embiid’s minutes are reduced, the Sixers still have plenty of talent. Danny Green scored 18 points, Tyrese Maxey 14, Furkan Korkmaz 12 and George Hill 11 against the Suns. Matisse Thybulle went scoreless but was stellar on defense, highlighted by three blocked shots and a pair of steals.

• The Bucks (35-22) hope to avoid a third straight loss when they host Philadelphia. In their most recent game, the Bucks fell 128-127 in overtime to the Suns on Monday. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and eight rebounds, Khris Middleton added 26 points and seven rebounds, and Jrue Holiday had 25 points and eight assists. Antetokounmpo suffered leg cramps and sat out the final four-plus minutes of overtime. Middleton, who has developed into an All-Star-caliber player the last two seasons, stepped in and nearly catapulted the Bucks to a win.

• Donte DiVincenzo, who was a standout at nearby Villanova, had nine points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes. DiVincenzo had missed the previous two games with a sprained right toe. He’s expected to be available to play against the Sixers.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Milwaukee Bucks
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