NBA Betting Picks: Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Predictions and Odds on October 23 (Will 76ers Cover the Spread?)

The newly-revamped Philadelphia 76ers hope to start their title hopes on a strong note as they take on fellow title-contender the Milwaukee Bucks this Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

As per the latest odds, the 76ers are +825 to win the title this year while the Bucks are at +1300 to regain the crown.

• Philadelphia opened as the 1.5-point favorites on Monday but the odds have swung in the favor of Milwaukee as of press time as per the latest Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks betting lines.
• Milwaukee came up on top in all of their three meetings last season, having won by an average margin of 10.3 points.
• Both teams were far from its usual self in the preseason though with the Sixers finishing with a 3-3 (win-loss) card and the Bucks notching just one win in four games.

With the 76ers and the Bucks looking to improve from their early playoff exits last season, expect both teams to come off the gates firing in a game that could go down to the very last shot.

Keep scrolling as we go in-depth on how Philadelphia and Milwaukee stack up with one another on paper in this compelling Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks sports betting predictions piece.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks DraftKings NBA Odds for October 23

Moneyline

• Philadelphia 76ers: +136
• Milwaukee Bucks: -162

Spread

• Philadelphia 76ers: +3.5 (-112)
• Milwaukee Bucks: -3.5 (-108)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 224 (-110)
• UNDER 224 (-110)

Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

Philadelphia 76ers Injury Report

1. Jared McCain – Bruised Lungs – Day-to-Day
2. Joel Embiid – Knee – Out
3. Paul George – Bone Bruised – Out

Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

1. Khris Middleton – Ankle – Out

Best NBA odds for Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks

• The Philadelphia 76ers covered the spread 48 times in 82 regular season games last season. The best Philadelphia 76ers odds for the home team to cover the spread are available on BetMGM at -110.
• The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Philadelphia 76ers in all of their matchups last season. Bet365 offers the best odds for the Bucks to win outright at -160.
• The under hit in three of the past five encounters between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The best Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks betting odds for the under are available on BetMGM at -115.

Why will the Philadelphia 76ers cover the spread?

The Philadelphia 76ers entered last season as among the odds-on favorite to win the title but they found themselves exiting the first round after losing to Jalen Brunson and the gritty New York Knicks team in six games.

Now, the 76ers are on the same spot with bookmakers having them as the team with the fourth best chance of winning it all and that has a lot to do with the moves they did in the offseason.

• Having none other than Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Joel Embiid to carry the scoring load last season, the 76ers bolstered their offense this year, acquiring All-Star Paul George, sharpshooter Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson.
• Philadelphia also added center Andre Drummond, shooting guard Caleb Martin, and French forward Geurschon Yabusele who had a stellar Olympic campaign into their already-stacked lineup.

With the 76ers having plenty of offensive options and playing at home, backing them to cover the +3.5 spread is something worth considering.

• It is also worth noting that for the flak they have been getting last season, the 76ers were among the best teams in the league as far as covering the spread is concerned, posting an impressive 48-34 ATS card.

This pales in comparison to the Bucks, who for their part have only covered the spread 43.7% of their games last season. If that’s not bad enough, Milwaukee only covered 17 times on the road last season.

While Milwaukee added Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr, and Delon Wright to their lineup this season, they also lost defensive star Patrick Beverley and sharpshooting guard Malik Beasley who signed with the Detroit Pistons in the offseason.

Considering the ATS history of both teams and their roster moves during the offseason, backing Philadelphia to cover the +3.5 spread and start their season on the right track could be a strong play here for bettors wanting an angle on the underdog.

Why will the Milwaukee Bucks cover the spread?

An injury to Damian Lillard and the absence of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the playoffs doomed the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship hopes last season as they found themselves losing to the sixth-seed Indiana Pacers in the first round.

With Lillard and Antetokounmpo back in full health, the Bucks will try to regain the title they last won in 2021 and they begin their journey against a banged-up Philadelphia 76ers team.

Although the 76ers have added some additional firepower in the offseason, it is worth noting that newly-acquired star Paul George is out for this game due to a bone bruise while Joel Embiid is expected to miss the opening week due to a nagging knee injury.

With George and Embiid out, there could be value towards backing the Bucks to cover the -3.5 spread here.

• It is worth noting that Milwaukee handily beat Philadelphia in their matchups last season albeit that 118-117 victory in the opening two weeks.
• Antetokounmpo starred for the Bucks in their three matchups last season with the 76ers, averaging 28.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
• Even more impressive is the fact that they were able to hold Embiid to just 24 points while forcing him to commit seven turnovers in the one game he played against the Bucks last season.

With the Bucks in a much healthier state than the 76ers, backing Milwaukee to cover the spread on the road might be worth a punt at these current odds.

Final Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks NBA Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 (-108)

If the Philadelphia 76ers were healthy, they could definitely walk out with a dominant victory here. However, the 76ers are anything but healthy and that could be something the Milwaukee Bucks can take advantage of.

Led by Milwaukee’s frontcourt of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard, I am more confident in picking the much healthier team to pull away with a dominant victory here. Give me the Bucks to cover.