76ers vs Bucks player props: Value on Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring and rebounds, Maxey playmaking

After the Philadelphia 76ers just couldn’t slow down the Boston Celtics offense in route to their 126-117 season-opening loss, they face off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

This will be the Milwaukee’s season opener. The Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, and are two years removed from taking down the Phoenix Suns to claim the 2021-22 NBA Championship.

Whenever these two teams meet, especially with MVP candidates Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid being the engines to drive these two offenses, the results are always memorable. Ahead of the matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, here’s a look at the top prop bet plays using the Caesars Sportsbook market.

In three matchups last season against the 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo lit up Philly’s defense, averaging 34.3 points, 13.6 rebounds and 6.3 rebounds per game. His masterful performance came back on March 29, when the Bucks defeated the Sixers, 118-116, in the only game James Harden played against the Bucks as a member of the 76ers, Antetokounmpo finished with 40-14-6 splits.

With the Bucks looking to make a statement, Antetokounmpo finishing with over 42.5 total points and rebounds seems more than reasonable considering what he averaged against the Sixers last season. Seven of his last eight regular season matchups against the Sixers would have easily eclipsed this points and rebounds total, so this prop almost seems like taking candy from a baby.

If you’re looking to build a multi-leg parlay, this is a great starting point for this matchup.

In 44 of 75 games last season, 76ers rising star guard Tyrese Maxey finished with four or more assists in a game, including eclipsing the mark in all three matchups against the Bucks last season.

In one of his early breakout games last season, Maxey finished with 31 points, four assists and five rebounds in a loss in the first of the three-game season series against the Bucks. While he struggled in the next two matchups, shooting a combined seven of 24 with 26 total points, he finished with four and five assists, respectively, in those matchups.

With how little movement we saw in the season opener, I expect Doc Rivers to utilize Maxey in more pick-and-roll situations to get the young guard attacking the rim, leaving opportunities for corner three’s for both P.J. Tucker and Tobias Harris. This is a sneaky play in a game that is star-studded between Giannis, Embiid and Harden.

» READ MORE: Opening-night loss to Celtics serves as reminder that Sixers are still a work in progress

Although he hit three of his six three-pointers against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, Tobias Harris has historically struggled making three’s against the Milwaukee Bucks since joining the 76ers in the 2018-19 season.

In 10 games against the Bucks in a Sixer uniform, Harris has made one three-pointer or less in seven of 10 matchups, including failing to do so in five of the last six meetings. Harris made 2-of-8 three-pointers in their last matchup on March 29, but before that game, had not done so against the Bucks since February of 2020.

With an increased emphasis of Bucks-coached defenses staying air-tight on the three-point line, I expect Harris to struggle to find open shots along the perimeter.

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