The Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers will lock horns for a Christmas Day collision featuring two of the Eastern Conference’s premier teams. The Sixers will curate hosting activities as they welcome the Deer to the City of Brotherly Love for a 2:30 PM tip-off time. The festivities will be televised on ABC. This is the first meeting of the year between Milwaukee and Philadelphia. The two sides last met in April in Philly, where the Bucks defeated the Sixers 128-122 to cover as a five-point favorite.
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Injury Concerns
Bucks Point Guard Eric Bledsoe will be unavailable for the contest between Milwaukee and Philadelphia as he recovers from an injury to his shin.
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Christmas Day History Overview
Milwaukee Bucks
Much like Thanksgiving is synonymous with football, Christmas Day has been a long-established NBA tradition. Last year, the Bucks were in action on Christmas Day when they traveled to the Big Apple to square off with the New York Knicks for the first game of the day’s slate. With a noon tip-off time, the Bucks defeated the Knickerbockers 109-95 to cover as a 10-point favorite. The Bucks are 3-2 SU in Christmas Day games.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Ghosts of Christmas Past will take the Sixers back to last year when Philly lost a heart-breaker in Beantown against divisional rival Boston. Priced as a 3.5-point underdog, Philadelphia failed to cash in when it was defeated 121-114 by the hosting Celtics. The Sixers are a fixture in Christmas Day games and have appeared 31 times in their franchise history, putting together a 17-14 SU record.
Reasons To Back Milwaukee
The Bucks seem to be on a mission this year. As a result, the Eastern Conference seems like it’s theirs to lose. The Bucks have shown that they are impervious to playing in hostile environments and can win convincingly on the road on Christmas Day. Last year’s example against New York serves as a perfect case and point that this team will not be distracted as it heads into this contest. Throwing in points with the Bucks makes this virtually a must-play given the value it presents.
Reasons To Avoid Philadelphia
Rest will be working against the Sixers here in this spot as they will be playing on a day less of rest compared to their counterparts into this affair. Milwaukee will enter into this game as the fresher team and will have more time to prepare for this contest, given the fact they have three days between their home tilt on Sunday against Indiana and this match-up. Philadelphia comes into this game off two days rest along with having to from Detroit over this span. The resultant presents a harrowing prospect given the nature of the challenge that awaits the 76ers. It is hard for me to find myself laying points to a perhaps better-rested and more prepared Milwaukee team that has all the makings of an NBA Finals contender.
- Get more details: Milwaukee at Philadelphia NBA Match-up Stats
