Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, NBA Odds
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Edgar Chaput
Easy jokes about Hollywood aside, the stars will shine brightly on Friday when players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James take centre stage. Both squads are looking to rebound. The Milwaukee Bucks fell 120-95 to the Warriors on Wednesday while the Lakers were downed by the Kings 130-120.
Milwaukee is perched as a slight -2.5 favourite on the NBA odds for this Friday night bout.
Bucks vs. Lakers NBA Betting Odds
Meetings between these sides are infrequent, only twice per season, so wins are to be cherished and defeats taste more bitter. Milwaukee has had the better of L.A. in four of the previous five meetings. Incidentally, the only Lakers win was as the road team. The last victory for the Purple and Gold at home versus the Bucks was in March 2020. These clubs will meet on the hardwood floor again in Wisconsin on March 26.
It’s debatable how realistic Milwaukee’s chances of finishing first in the East are. They sit eight games behind Boston and would need the Celtics to play pretty pathetic basketball for the next five to six weeks for that to change. Khris Middleton remains MIA with an ankle injury. Before Wednesday’s loss to Golden State, Doc Rivers appeared to have righted the ship, as the Bucks rode a six-game winning streak, including six covered spreads in a row. That said, the team is only 27-35-1 ATS on the season.
The Lakers find themselves in a deceptively comfortable position. Utah trails their 10th spot by five and a half games but trying to avoid the Play-In would still be wise. This late into the campaign, at 34-20 Los Angeles is what its record says it is. LeBron James left Wednesday’s game early with some ankle issues but afterwards said he was going to be all right. This could be a bad matchup for L.A.. The Lakers are 20th in defence (117.6 points conceded per game) whereas the Bucks come in with the fourth-best attack (120.9 points). L.A. is 28-36 ATS.
Milwaukee Bucks
It’s ironic that Milwaukee should face a strong Clippers side without Giannis yet find a way to win, only to follow that up with a game against the Warriors with the Greek Freak in the lineup but get walloped 125-90.
Such is the unpredictability of the NBA (the Celtics coughing up a 22-point fourth-quarter lead, anyone?). Milwaukee’s defence, which has taken a hit this season, was torched. The Warriors went 56.0 per cent from the field, with Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga leading the way. Conversely, Milwaukee only shot 38.2 per cent, one of their worst efforts of the season. The number of times Giannis and Brook Lopez were blocked by Trayce Jackson-David was shocking. Malik Beasley needs to get out of his funk. Wednesday was the third consecutive game in which he scored less than 10 points. He isn’t an amazing scorer, traditionally, but his figures are surely below what the Bucks need from him.
Los Angeles Lakers
Wednesday’s match versus the Sacramento Kings was another example of who the L.A. Lakers are this season. In essence, the opposite of what they were a year ago when the defence ruled the day. This season, hot hands can blow them out of the building.
All attempts to slow down De’Aaron Fox were futile. The Sacramento guard went off for 44 points, including clutch baskets down the stretch that kept the score just out of reach for a comeback. You know there’s an issue when King James goes for 31, Rui Hachimura goes for 29, all starters reach double-digits, yet the team still loses by double-digits. That shouldn’t happen.
For all their deficiencies, the Lakers are one of the better home teams that rank as low as they do in the West with a 22-11 tally.
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