NBA Pick #1: 529 Philadelphia 76ers @ 530 Milwaukee Bucks
Rating: 2 Units – Regular Play
Pick: 529 Philadelphia 76ers (+6.5)
Price: -109 / 1.92 on Pinnacle
Write Up:
Even though James Harden is away from the team, I believe that Philadelphia will be a competitive team tonight and that they will have a considerable edge right now in terms of team chemistry in comparison to Milwaukee.
Without Harden, the Sixers are a team that moves more without the ball on offense, has more athleticism and is less predictable. Melton and Maxey formed a nice duo in the preseason and I’ve liked the way Philadelphia was able to play with pace.
On the other side, I have some doubts about Milwaukee’s perimeter defense. Maxey is poised to have a very favorable matchup today. Milwaukee’s last two preseason games were against teams that play with pace and have dynamic guards (OKC and MEM) and they really struggled in those games during the time their starters were on court. Kris Middleton only played 12 minutes during the preseason and Milwaukee will need reps to acclimate Lillard to his new team and a new coach as well.
