Thanks to a magical season put together by a Phoenix Suns team that’s winning more than 81 percent of its games, there’s no regular-season drama at the top of the Western Conference standings. The Eastern Conference? Totally different story, as four teams are within one game of the top spot. Thanks to some fortuitous scheduling, two of those squads square off in the marquee matchup on the Tuesday NBA odds board.
The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks visit the Philadelphia 76ers for a critical late-season clash. Both teams enter Tuesday with 46-28 records, tied with Boston (47-29) for second place in the Eastern Conference. The winner will grab — at least momentarily — sole possession of second place and move within a half-game of top seed Miami (48-28).
There’s also some intrigue tonight in the Western Conference, where the Los Angeles Clippers could get star Paul George back for the first time in more than three months as they host the Utah Jazz in a battle of teams hoping to end losing streaks.
Props.com breaks down both matchups, part of a five-game slate on the Tuesday NBA odds board.
Odds via WynnBet and updated as of 6:30 p.m. ET on March 29.
Milwaukee Bucks Vs Philadelphia 76ers
Tipoff/TV: 7:10 p.m. ET/NBA League Pass
Bucks: 46-28 SU/35-39 ATS
76ers: 46-28 SU/35-37-2 ATS
Spread/Total: Pick/231.5
Last meeting: Philadelphia knocked off the Bucks 123-120 as 6.5-point road underdogs on Feb. 17
Did you know: Milwaukee had won six straight series meetings (5-1 ATS) before the 76ers’ win Feb. 17. That includes the Bucks’ 118-109 victory in Philly as a 7-point road favorite Nov. 9. Tuesday marks the first time in 11 series clashes that the 76ers are favored over Milwaukee
About Milwaukee: The Bucks are coming off one of their most lopsided losses of the season, Saturday’s 127-102 defeat to Memphis as 1-point road favorites. Before that, Milwaukee was on a 10-2 SU/9-3 ATS run, keeping the Bucks in the thick of a four-team race atop the Eastern Conference. Miami currently owns the No. 1 seed but is just one game clear of Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Boston. The Heat and Celtics are idle Tuesday. The winner of Tuesday’s game will hold the head-to-head tiebreaker for playoff seeding if the teams end up knotted at the end of the regular season. The game also offers one last opportunity for Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo to face Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. Both are top contenders in a tight league MVP race. Overall, six of the Bucks’ last eight contests, including the last three in a row, have stayed Under the total.
About Philadelphia: The 76ers also enter this game off a loss, albeit an understandable one. They went to Phoenix on Sunday and fell to the Western Conference-leading Suns 114-104 as 4-point road underdogs, snapping a three-game winning streak. Philadelphia is still 5-2 SU in its last seven games, but has cashed just once in its last six. The 76ers and Bucks have split their two meetings this season, but this will be Milwaukee’s first time facing Philadelphia with star guard James Harden, who joined the Sixers at the trade deadline. Harden was held to 14 points against the Suns, shooting only 2-for-11 from the field. The former MVP is below most of his season averages for the month — 21.4 points (22.5 for the season), 7.3 rebounds (7.9), 9.2 assists (10.1), 38.9 field-goal percentage (41.4) and 30.7 3-point percentage (33.6).
Injuries: Antetokounmpo is expected to play despite a sore right knee. Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday (ankle) and Serge Ibaka (illness) are also expected back after missing Saturday’s game. … Philadelphia is fully healthy.
Notable trends
- Milwaukee is on positive ATS runs of 8-3 overall, 6-2 on the road and 4-0 after a non-cover
- Milwaukee is 9-21 ATS in its last 30 as an underdog
- Philadelphia is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 at home
- Under is 8-3 in Milwaukee’s last 11 as an underdog
- Under is 5-0 in Philadelphia’s past five as a home favorite
- Over is 5-1 in the teams’ past six Bucks-Sixers games in Philadelphia
- Over is 9-4 in the teams’ past 13 meetings overall (2-0 this season)
Milwaukee Bucks Vs Philadelphia 76ers Odds and Action
UPDATE 6:10 P.M. ET: An hour ahead of tipoff, this game is a pick ’em on WynnBet’s NBA Tuesday odds board. The line opened at 76ers -3.5, fell to -1.5 by late Monday night and got to pick ’em midafternoon today. Point-spread ticket count is almost dead even, but spread money is 3/1 on the visiting Bucks. The total shot from 227 to 232 by lunchtime today and is now 231.5, with ticket count 2/1 and money 9/1 on the Over.
Utah Jazz Vs Los Angeles Clippers
Tipoff/TV: 10 p.m. ET/TNT
Jazz: 45-30 SU/31-41-3 ATS
Clippers: 36-39 SU/36-39 ATS
Spread/Total: Clippers -1/218
Last meeting: Utah whipped the Clippers 121-92 on March 18, covering easily as 5-point home favorites. The Jazz also crushed Los Angeles 124-103 as a 14-point home favorite Dec. 15 in the teams’ other meeting this season
Did you know: The Clippers eliminated Utah 4-2 in last season’s Western Conference semifinals. Los Angeles won the last four games of the series after falling behind 2-0, despite losing star forward Kawhi Leonard to a knee injury in Game 4. Leonard later had right ACL surgery and has not played this season
About Utah: The Jazz close out a six-game road trip tonight. The journey began with a blowout win at New York but has turned disastrous since with four consecutive SU and ATS losses, all to teams holding playoff spots: Dallas, Charlotte, Boston, and Brooklyn. The Mavericks delivered the latest blow with a 114-100 victory Sunday as 4-point favorites. Mavs-Jazz is a playoff preview at the moment, with Dallas holding the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and Utah in fifth. It’s a tight race, though, with the Jazz only 2.5 games behind Golden State for the No. 3 seed but only 2.5 games ahead of No. 7 seed Minnesota. Only the top six teams avoid the NBA’s play-in playoff tournament. Utah is 8-1 to the Under in its last nine road games (4-1 on its current trip).
Editor’s Note: Looking to become a sharper NBA bettor? Check out our NBA betting guide for a few wagering tips.
About Los Angeles: The Clippers are also reeling, having dropped five in a row SU and ATS, including Friday’s 122-97 loss to Philadelphia as 5.5-point home underdogs. Los Angeles is 2-8 SU/3-7 ATS in its last 10, including 1-3 SU/ATS at home. Despite the skid, the Clippers are still solidly in the No. 8 spot and a “win and in” playoff play-in game against the No. 7 seed. L.A. is four games clear of New Orleans for the No. 9 seed, which would have to win two play-in games to reach the postseason.
Injuries: Utah center Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s leading rebounder, is questionable after missing Sunday’s game with a leg contusion. Gobert’s primary backup, Hassan Whiteside, is out with a foot injury. Also, small forward Bojan Bogdanovic — the team’s second-leading scorer who has missed eight straight games with a calf injury — is questionable. … Bettors will need to keep their eyes open for a possible big return for L.A.. For the first time since Dec. 22, Clippers star forward Paul George (elbow) has been upgraded from out to questionable.
Notable trends
- Utah is in ATS slumps of 4-16-1 on the road and 1-7 as a road favorite
- Los Angeles is 0-5 ATS in its last five as an underdog
- Los Angeles is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 as a home ‘dog
- Under is 7-0 in Utah’s last seven as a road favorite
- Under is 7-3 in Los Angeles’ last 10 overall
- Over is 7-2-1 in Los Angeles’ last 10 at home
- Home team is 8-1 SU/ATS in the last nine Jazz-Clippers games (playoffs included)
- Over is 3-0-1 in the past four series meetings
Utah Jazz Vs Los Angeles Clippers Odds and Action
UPDATE 6:15 P.M. ET: WynnBet has Los Angeles a 1-point favorite on the Tuesday NBA odds board, after opening Utah as a 1-point chalk and going to Jazz -1.5 midafternoon. Contrary to the line flip, early tickets and money are in the 6/1 range on Utah. The total surged from 213.5 to 218 by late this afternoon, with ticket count approaching 3/1 and money beyond 9/1 on the Over.
