Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Nikola Jokic has won the last two NBA MVP awards, but the two guys chasing him those years, and this season, are Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetekounmpo. Those two have been battling some injuries out of the all star break, but they’re both healthy today and ready for this showdown between the third place Philadelphia 76ers and No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks have vaulted into the top spot in the Eastern conference by winning 16 straight games even without Giannis in a couple of those games. The Sixers on the other side have lost three of their last four, so they need a big win against the hottest team in the NBA. Let’s get into the odds for this one up in Milwaukee.
76ers vs. Bucks odds, spread and total
76ers vs. Bucks prediction and pick
The Milwaukee Bucks have been flat out the best team in basketball and that isn’t just because of Giannis. Jrue Holiday averaged 21.0 points a game in February on 50.6% shooting and 42.5% from three. He also averaged 6.7 assists per game. He has really taken his game up a level while being one of the top perimeter defenders in the game. He’ll give James Harden fits all day and the 76ers don’t have a great matchup for him defensively.
Brook Lopez and Giannis are two of the most ideal defenders for Joel Embiid, and even though he’ll be motivated to make a statement in the MVP race, this might not be a good matchup. In 14 games against the Bucks in his career, he averages 27.4 points, but on 43.7% from the field which is his third worst against any opponent.
Embiid is second in MVP odds behind Jokic right now, but he might not be after this game. Giannis has his team on a serious hot streak and Embiid won’t stop it.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change