The Milwaukee Bucks are heading to Philadelphia to face a severely depleted 76ers squad Thursday night. Oddsmakers have the Bucks as heavy 12-point favorites on the road, which isn’t surprising given the teams’ current situations.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center and will be available on NBA League Pass or through the Jazz Sports live stream.
Injuries have hit both teams hard. The Bucks will likely have Giannis Antetokounmpo despite his foot issue, but they’ll be missing Damian Lillard with a calf injury. AJ Green is questionable with a shoulder problem.
The 76ers? They’re basically a hospital ward at this point.
Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Jared McCain are all done for the season. Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, and Andre Drummond have been ruled out for tonight’s game. Eric Gordon and Guerschon Yabusele are questionable. It’s honestly easier to list who’s actually available to play.
The Bucks just snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Phoenix on Tuesday. That game was pretty special – Milwaukee shot an incredible 68.9% from the field, setting a new franchise record. It’s the best shooting performance by any NBA team since 1998.
Giannis dominated with 37 points in that victory.
Milwaukee’s been struggling lately though, going just 4-6 in their last 10 games. Their road record isn’t great either at 17-20.
The 76ers are in much worse shape. They’ve lost nine straight games and haven’t won consecutive games since January. Their home record is a dismal 12-25.
Philadelphia has dropped 26 of their last 30 games. What started as a promising season completely fell apart when injuries piled up.
The Bucks have dominated this matchup recently, winning seven straight against the 76ers. They’re looking to sweep the season series for the second year in a row.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives Milwaukee an 80% chance of winning tonight, which feels about right considering the circumstances. The 76ers have also struggled at home against the Bucks, going 1-6 in their last seven meetings in Philadelphia.
With Milwaukee starting a three-game road trip and Philadelphia just trying to get through the season, this matchup looks pretty lopsided on paper.
