The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers meet for a season-opening battle on Wednesday between a pair of Eastern Conference contenders.
The pregame narrative: Unfortunately, a few stars will be on the bench for this marquee matchup. But we’re sticking with household names in this +280 SGP, which features Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Maxey.
Check out my Bucks vs. 76ers same-game parlay predictions for the season-opening matchup on Oct. 23.
Bucks vs. 76ers predictions
Go to full NBA betting markets
Parlay: Bucks moneyline + Maxey over 2.5 threes + Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points (+280)
Bucks moneyline (-167): There are key players missing on both sides of this matchup, but Philadelphia’s absences are more notable.
Joel Embiid, the 2022-23 MVP, won’t play on Wednesday. Last year, the Sixers went 16-27 without him in the lineup. Paul George also won’t suit up for Philly, putting his debut on hold after he hyperextended his knee in the preseason.
Khris Middleton isn’t expected to play for the Bucks, but that’s not as significant of a loss. Milwaukee won a pair of games against Philadelphia last year with Middleton on the sidelines.
In fact, the Bucks have won four in a row against the Sixers and are 4-1 on the road against Philly since the start of the 2021-22 season. Without Embiid or George, I don’t see the Sixers winning.
SGP legs
Maxey over 2.5 threes (-275): Maxey earned Most Improved Player honours last season, and the expectations will be greater from the jump for the fifth-year point guard — especially with two of his star teammates sitting out.
Maxey’s 3-point shot volume has climbed in every year of his career. He attempted 1.7 threes per game as a rookie, then 4.1, 6.2 and finally 8.1 a season ago.
I don’t expect the season-over-season growth to continue, but he’ll always have a fair shot at cashing this prop if he’s attempting around 8.0 threes per night.
Maxey went over this line in 43 of 70 games (61.4%) a season ago, and he averaged 2.7 threes in 34 games without Embiid, per StatMuse.
Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points (-103): It’s been a few years since he’s won MVP, but Giannis hasn’t slowed down one bit as a scorer.
Over the past two seasons, the Greek Freak has averaged 30.7 PPG and received first-team All-NBA acclaim both times. Last year, he posted the best effective FG rate of his career (62.4%).
Without George, a four-time All-Defensive Team selection, and Embiid, a hulking presence at 7 feet and 280 pounds, I think Giannis will have a clear path to a 30-piece.
Giannis scored 30-plus points in two of three games against Philly last season, including his lone game at Wells Fargo Center.
Picks made at 12:41 p.m. on 10/22/24.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.