Bucks vs. 76ers prediction, odds, line, spread, time: 2023 NBA picks, Oct. 26 best bets from proven model
Two Eastern Conference contenders meet on Thursday at Fiserv Forum. The Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers in the regular season opener for both teams. Milwaukee finished as the top seed in the East last year with 58 wins before adding Damian Lillard via an offseason blockbuster trade. Philadelphia won 54 games a season ago, led by Joel Embiid, but the team will operate without James Harden in Thursday's opener.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. SportsLine consensus lists the Bucks as 6-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 225.5 in the latest 76ers vs. Bucks odds. Before you make any Bucks vs. 76ers picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model finished the 2022-23 NBA season on a 72-39 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning nearly $2,800. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on 76ers vs. Bucks and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for 76ers vs. Bucks:
- 76ers vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -6
- 76ers vs. Bucks over/under: 225.5 points
- 76ers vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -244, 76ers +199
- PHL: The 76ers were 26-20-1 against the spread in 2022-23 road games
- MIL: The Bucks were 24-18-2 against the spread in 2022-23 home games
Why the 76ers can cover
The 76ers have uncertainty around James Harden but they still have one of the best players in the NBA with Joel Embiid. Embiid won the 2023 NBA MVP award after leading the NBA with 33.1 points per game. That was his second straight scoring title, and he is the first center to win back-to-back scoring titles since 1976. Embiid also shot a career-best 54.8% from the field while averaging 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots per game.
The 76ers were in the top three of the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring 1.17 points per possession, and led the league in 3-point accuracy (38.7%) and free throw accuracy (83.5%) last season. The 76ers were also in the top eight in free throw creation (25.1 attempts per game), field goal percentage (48.7%), and fast break points per game (14.7). See which team to pick here.
Why the Bucks can cover
The Bucks have arguably the best superstar duo in the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game last season. He was the only player in the NBA to exceed 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per contest, and was also the only player to finish in the top five of the league in scoring and rebounds. He averaged 29.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game over the last four seasons combined, all while shooting 55.7% from the field and producing at an elite level on defense.
This season, Antetokounmpo is joined by Lillard, who averaged 32.2 points per game a season ago. The seven-time All-NBA guard is in the top six all-time in career 3-pointers, and he is one of only five players in history to average more than 25 points and six assists per game in his career. Over the last four seasons, Lillard averaged 29.0 points and 7.4 assists per contest, and he should add dynamism to Milwaukee's perimeter attack. See which team to pick here.
How to make 76ers vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, with eight players projected to score more than 14 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's NBA picks at SportsLine.
