The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers face off on Sunday for the first time since their season opener, and both teams look different than that outing due to injuries.
Joel Embiid and Khris Middleton both won’t play in this game, which means Tyrese Maxey is going to have to compete with the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard if Philly wants to pull off an upset at home.
The Sixers are coming off a great win on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the team is still just 7-15 without Embiid in action in the 2023-24 campaign.
The Bucks have been a nightmare against the spread, but they find themselves set as slight favorites on the road after pulling off an upset against Minnesota in their last game.
If you’re looking to bet on any game in the NBA tonight, FanDuel Sportsbook has an amazing promotional offer. New users who sign up with the link below and wager $5 will receive $150 in bonus bets -- if their bet wins.
Sign up for FanDuel now!
Let’s break down the odds and a best bet for the NBA’s first nationally televised game on a loaded Sunday slate.
Bucks vs. Sixers odds, spread and total
Bucks vs. Sixers how to watch
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 25
- Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Wells Fargo Center
- How to watch (TV): ABC
- Bucks record: 36-21
- Sixers record: 33-23
Bucks vs. Sixers injury reports
Bucks injury report
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: probable
- Khris Middleton – out
- Chris Livingston – out
- Ryan Rollins – out
- TyTy Washington – out
Sixers injury report
- Joel Embiid – out
- Robert Covington – out
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. – out
- KJ Martin – probable
- Terquavion Smith – out
Bucks vs. Sixers key players to watch
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo: The two-time MVP picked up right where he left off after the All-Star break, scoring 33 points in the Bucks’ win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. Giannis is putting up great numbers (30.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game), but the Bucks are still a game back of Cleveland for the No. 2 seed and nine games back of Boston for the No. 1 spot. He should feast today against a smaller Sixers frontcourt without Embiid.
Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey: This is Maxey’s team until further notice, and the All-Star guard has back-to-back strong games since the team returned from the break, scoring 35 in a loss to the New York Knicks and 24 in a win over the Cavs. Philly needs Maxey to have a big game to keep up with Milwaukee’s elite offense on Sunday.
Bucks vs. Sixers prediction and pick
It’s been extremely hard to trust the Bucks are road favorites this season – the team is just 8-13 against the spread in those games – but I do like Milwaukee to cover here.
The Sixers did pull off a nice win over the Cavs, but Donovan Mitchell did not play for Cleveland in that game. I’m not going to put too much stock into that win, as the Sixers were dominated by the New York Knicks the night before, falling behind by as many as 26 in the second half.
Milwaukee just took down the No. 1 defense in the NBA without Middleton, and now it gets a Philly team that is just 2-4 ATS as a home underdog and has been a nightmare without Embiid in terms of win/loss record.
The Sixers don’t have the bigs down low to handle Antetokounmpo, and the Bucks should have a major offensive advantage. The team is No. 2 in the NBA in points per game this season (121.8) while the Sixers are averaging just 112.0 points per game without Embiid (22 games).
I lean with the Bucks’ offense to get the road win on Sunday.
Pick: Bucks -4.5 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.