NBA Betting April 25 – Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks

The first round is in the books with the Milwaukee Bucks getting a payout win over the Philadelphia 76ers in a meeting of Eastern Conference heavyweights on Thursday night. The two are right back at it on Saturday afternoon with the Bucks looking for the sweep while closing the gap in the conference standings. It’s a difficult stretch of games for the Sixers and they haven’t fared very well dropping their third straight. It was also a relief for the Bucks, who stopped a five-game home losing streak.  Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600).

Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks
Date and Time: Saturday, April 24, 2021, 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Opening NBA Odds: (Check Back Later - Live Odds Here)
76ers at Bucks TV Coverage: ESPN

Odds Analysis

The Bucks ended their home skid on Thursday getting the payout with a 124-117 victory covering the closing 6.5-point spread. Meanwhile the Sixers are floundering dropping three in a row while going 0-4-1 ATS in their last five. There is some good news for the Sixers. They got closer to full strength with the return of Tobias Harris and Seth Curry. And despite their recent struggles they still own a share of first place in the East with Brooklyn with a record of 39-20 while going 30-26-3 ATS. The Bucks moved within 2.5 games of the top spot in the conference and can make things even more interesting with a win on Saturday. They also go for the season sweep of the Sixers after winning the initial meeting 109-105 in overtime in Philly last month. The Bucks have won four straight overall in the series going 3-1 ATS in those games.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers got some relief with Harris and Curry back in the lineup. They were without Ben Simmons, though, and his status for Saturday’s game is unclear. Not only does Simmons average nearly 15 points and 7.1 assists per game, he’s one of if not the best defender on the team. In the three games he’s missed the Sixers have allowed an average of almost 116 points, more than seven points above their season average. And the Sixers were bullied in the backcourt with Golden State’s Stephen Curry going for 49 points and Phoenix’s Chris Paul scoring 28 in the first two games of his absence.

While they held Milwaukee’s starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Dante DiVincenzo to a combined 15 points on 6 of 17 shooting on Thursday, the Sixers couldn’t control the frontcourt. Things should get better now that starters Harris and Curry are back. Harris scored 18 points on 8 of 16 shooting with six assists in 30 minutes after missing the previous three games. Curry added 11 points and the Sixers shot 51 percent from the field but still lost by seven points. Joel Embiid had 24 points and Shake Milton added 20, but the Sixers got off to a slow start allowing the first 10 points and never led, though they did cut into a 20-point deficit to make it closer in the end.

Milwaukee Bucks

Thursday’s game was all good for the Bucks. They stopped a home losing streak, moved closer to the No. 1 seed in the East and, more importantly, saw no lasting effects on Giannis Antetokounmpo after The Freak was pulled in overtime of the loss to Phoenix with what he described as cramps. He dropped 27 with 16 boards and six assists in a duel with Philly’s MVP candidate Embiid. The Bucks started fast scoring the game’s first 10 points and led by as many as 20 points in the opening quarter. They maintained a double-digit advantage until the Sixers made a run against the reserves.

It also helped that the Bucks caught Philly shorthanded and on the second of a back-to-back. The Bucks had a few days off while the Sixers were playing for the fifth time in eight days. Milwaukee has won its share of games thanks to an explosive offense. They lead the NBA averaging nearly 120 points per game and rank second in three-point shooting percentage. Both areas were on display Thursday with 124 points on 20 of 40 shooting from distance. The Bucks cashed the OVER in a third straight game and for the seventh time in their last 10 outings. For the season the OVER is 35-22.

Bet 76ers at Bucks at BookMaker.eu

When the Bucks get on a roll it usually lasts for a few games. They were rolling on Thursday putting an end to their two-game overall skid and five-game home slide. Giannis did what he does best and he looked the part getting the better of Embiid on a number of occasions. That should inspire Philly’s big man for the rematch and I expect the Sixers to play with more fire in the beginning. But in the end it won’t be enough.

NBA Score Prediction: Bucks 125, 76ers 115

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com