Filip Tomic
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It’s an early start to the action in the NBA on Sunday as the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers get us going at 1 pm ET, live on ABC. It promises to be an exciting match-up between two Eastern Conference powerhouses, I’ve prepared a Same Game Parlay priced at a tasty +431 odds. Continue reading below to check it out.
Head over to our NBA picks page for predictions on the side and total for the rest of Sunday’s action as well.
Let’s dive into my SGP bet now!
MIL Bucks -4.5 Point Spread (-110)
Damian Lillard to Score 30+ Points (+290)
Same Game Parlay odds: +431
Milwaukee Bucks -4.5 (-110)
I’m actually surprised the Bucks are just 4.5 point favorites here. They just came out of the break by beating the best team in the West by 5 points on the road. This latter part of the regular season will be massive for Milwaukee, especially for head coach Doc Rivers who was just 3-7 SU in his first 10 games in charge. I’m expecting the Bucks to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2nd seed, racking up wins against shorthanded teams like the 76ers is a must if they want to finish 2nd behind Boston.
Philadelphia did help the Bucks by beating the Cavaliers the other night, but I don’t think they have it in them to beat 2 of the 3 best teams in the East without their best player Joel Embiid. Milwaukee has also dominated the head-to-head meetings by winning 10 of the last 13 games and 4 of the last 5 played in Philadelphia. With the Sixers covering just once in 8 home games and winning only 4 of their last 10 overall, I think backing the Bucks to cover is a must here.
Damian Lillard to Score 30+ Points (+290)
My initial thought when betting on this game was “who stops Damian Lillard here”. It certainly won’t be Tyrese Maxey who is expected to carry the load offensively and keep the 76ers in the game. Neither Buddy Hield or Kelly Oubre Jr. are known for their defensive contributions, so I just feel like Dame will have plenty of open looks from distance here. Add to that the fact that Embiid isn’t playing, the lane will also be wide open for him to penetrate, in case his long shot isn’t falling. He torched the 76ers for 39 points in the season opener for both teams, knocking down 17 free throws in that game. Lillard is one of those old school players that isn’t afraid to attack the basket, even if it means getting knocked down to the floor. He didn’t have the best of games against Minnesota in the win the other day, so I expect him to fully bounce back in this one. He’s scored 39 points twice in the last 4 meetings vs Philly and has cleared the 30 point mark 5 times in the last 8 meetings.
