Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, Preview, and Odds
Brook Lopez had a great game at Moda Center in Portland. He notched 27 points and nine rebounds, going 9-for-12 from the field and 7-for-9 from the foul line. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 13 boards, and eight assists, while Jrue Holiday accounted for 20 points and eight assists.
“I have a long way to still go, a long time to still play. I’m just enjoying it and I want to keep getting better, keep being an effective player out there, being the best player I could be," said Lopez, who is in his 14th season. “I’m lucky that there are people that are out there trying to help me, trying to make me better and put me in that position.”
The Bucks continue to lean on their defense. They rank third in the league in defensive rating (110.7 points per 100 possessions), opposing 2-point percentage (51.4%), and opposing 3-point percentage (34.6%). On the other side of the ball, the Bucks are 21st in the NBA in offensive rating (113.4), 14th in 2-point percentage (54.5%), and 16th in 3-point percentage. Milwaukee makes 14.2 triples per game (5th).
No House Advantage: Bet on player over/unders VS THE HOUSE to 21x your bet OR play in PICK 'EM contests against other people! Click here to get a 1st deposit match up to $100 1st w/ promocode WandW!The Los Angeles Lakers (25-30; 25-28-2 ATS) have dropped two straight contests, losing at the New Orleans Pelicans 131-126 and to the Oklahoma City Thunder 133-130 in the process. Last Tuesday, LeBron James needed 36 points to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points in NBA history. James dropped 38 points on the Thunder, but the Lakers upset their fans and failed to come out on top as 7-point home favorites.LeBron went 13-for-20 from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line versus OKC. He also had seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while Russell Westbrook added 27 points and eight assists off the bench. The Lakers made 57.6% of their field goals (14-for-31 from deep) but turned the ball over 21 times. Also, their defense was hideous once more, as OKC went 17-for-34 from downtown while posting a terrific 32/13 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“I didn’t set this as a goal, so that’s probably why it’s so surreal and so weird to me,” James said. “I never talked about being the all-time scorer in NBA history … until my numbers started getting closer and closer, and I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is crazy. This is weird, but I guess I’m doing it.’”
The Lakers rank 18th in the league in adjusted offensive efficiency, tallying 113.7 points per 100 possessions. They are ninth in 2-point percentage (55.9%) and 26th in 3-point percentage (33.8%). However, the Lakers are yielding 115.0 points per 100 possessions (tied-20th in the NBA) on 55.2% shooting from inside the arc (17th) and 34.8% from downtown (4th).
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Insiders Status:
I’ve already said this before Milwaukee’s comfortable victory at Portland – I’m not going to stand in front of the red-hot Bucks. Milwaukee’s defense has been outstanding over the last few weeks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has dominated his opponents, while Khris Middleton is slowly but surely building up his form following an injury.
Antetokounmpo has averaged 37.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists during the Bucks’ winning streak. The Lakers hope Anthony Davis will be able to slow Giannis down, but I’m still relying on Milwaukee’s defense to make the difference. The Bucks have allowed 110 or fewer points in four of their last seven outings, whereas the Lakers have yielded 121 or more in five of their previous six games overall. Los Angeles outlasted Milwaukee 133-129 in their first meeting of the season, but it was way back on December 2.
Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 (-110)
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Insiders Status:
Although both teams play at a fast pace, I’m going with the under on the totals. They defend the 3-point line at a high level, and the Bucks are one of the best defensive units in the league in general. On the other side, the Lakers have to show some pride after yielding 130-plus points in each of their last two games.
The total has gone under in six of the last eight meetings between the Bucks and Lakers. Also, the under is 7-2 in Milwaukee’s last nine showings away from home. Five of the Bucks’ previous seven games overall have seen less than 240 points on the scoreboard.
Prediction: Go under 239.0 points (-110)
