Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers odds and best bet

The Eastern Conference is wild right now. As this is being written, Boston, Miami, Milwaukee and Philadelphia are all within one game of each other in the standings. (All, while Brooklyn has the best NBA title odds in the conference ... go figure).

Milwaukee is looking for a rebound performance in Philly. In their last game, Memphis dominated the Bucks, winning all four quarters on the way to a 25-point win. Lead guard Jrue Holiday missed the game and is questionable for this one, too. Ja Morant did not torch them in the loss, either. In fact, he didn't even suit up, so they have some explaining to do. It was a mulligan of a game but staying on the road and facing another top team is a tough spot to be in. Milwaukee has been a better spread team on the road, 19-16-1 ATS.

Philly is looking to get back to winning, too. They lost on Sunday at Phoenix, a rare team that can match up with the combination of Joel Embiid and James Harden defensively. These teams have split their season series with both teams winning on the road. The road has been better than home cooking for the 76ers all season long, though. The last time they played was before Harden was active with the 76ers. Not having Holiday available for Milwaukee really hurts because of his defensive abilities. 

Game Info

Milwaukee Bucks (46-28) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (46-28)
Tuesday, March 29, 2002
7:00 PM ET
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
NBC Sports Philadelphia

Betting Odds

Spread: Bucks +1.5 (-110), 76ers -1.5 (-110)
Total: 232.5
Moneyline: Bucks +103, 76ers -122

Best Bet

Milwaukee +1.5 (or the ML)

It has not gotten a lot of fanfare but the Bucks have center Brook Lopez back in the lineup. His shooting is definitely appreciated, but it also helps their defense a lot, especially against a team like Philadelphia.

When Milwaukee won at Philly in November Giannis led all scorers with 31 points. Khris Middleton didn't play and Holiday was not much of a factor. Joel Embiid didn't play for Philadelphia, either, but as long as Giannis is the top scorer on either side, the Bucks can not only cover, I think they will win outright. 

With Lopez and Bobby Portis the Bucks can make Embiid work. That is the key against Philly. Rarely is he a non-factor, but you can wear him out, and the Bucks can do that with defense and with the pace of the game if they are playing well. During the season, the 76ers really manage his minutes and in this game that might hurt them.

I don't want to minimize the absence of Holiday for this game, but I think they can harass Harden with the likes of George Hill and Grayson Allen, who is a professional pain in the rear. Neither is the offensive player that Holiday is, but they can be disruptive enough defensively to make it tough for the 76ers to find a good rhythm offensively.

Milwaukee has not been good in underdog roles this season, 4-9 SUATS. I have always felt they are pacing themselves though and they have a tendency to get up for the bigger games, this one would definitely qualify as one of those. 

Look for a playoff quality game on Tuesday night.