Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction, NBA Odds
The Bucks and Lakers have both underperformed to start the season, so a win on Wednesday in Milwaukee would be a step in the right direction for either team. Milwaukee has dropped their last two games, including a 120-100 blowout loss in Atlanta on Sunday. L.A. has lost two of their last three and are fresh off a 121-103 home loss against Chicago.
The Bucks are 9-point favourites to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 217.0.
Lakers vs. Bucks NBA Betting Odds
Milwaukee and L.A. split the season series last year, with the road team picking up the win in both games. Defence has been a staple in recent meetings between these teams as the total has gone Under in five straight head-to-heads. About 83 per cent of Sports Interaction bettors expect the Under trend to continue, while 73 per cent are taking the points and siding with the Lakers.
L.A. has had a fairly light travel schedule to start the season and this will be just their fourth road game of the year. The Lakers are 1-2 straight up and against the spread on the road. Overall, they’ve failed to cover in 10 of 15 games on the year. The total has gone Over in four of L.A.’s last five games overall.
Home court has not been a haven for Milwaukee this year, as they’re 1-4 in Cream City. The Bucks are 6-8 ATS overall and they’ve failed to cover in four of five home games. The total has gone Under in all five of their home games and nine of their last 11 overall.
Los Angeles Lakers
Although LeBron James is expected to return to the lineup sometime this week, it won’t be on Wednesday. James has been out with an abdominal strain since Nov. 2. The Lakers are 3-4 during that stretch. L.A. is also dealing with a rash of other injuries, with Kendrick Nunn (knee), Austin Reaves (hamstring), and Trevor Ariza (ankle) all ruled out Wednesday. Anthony Davis (thumb) is listed as probable. Injuries are not a surprising development. L.A. has an average player age of 30-years-old, making them the oldest average roster in the NBA by almost two full years.
One positive note of injury news has been the return of Talen Horton-Tucker, who has played two games following thumb surgery during training camp. Horton-Tucker finished with a game-high 28 points and six rebounds against Chicago. Russell Westbrook put up 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Davis had 20 points and six rebounds. No other Lakers scorer hit double-digit figures.
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee has clearly struggled this year, dropping four of their last six games, but they’re expecting a big boost to the lineup with the return of Khris Middleton on Wednesday. Middleton has missed the last eight games after testing positive for COVID. In the six games he did play, Middleton averaged 20 points per game, providing depth scoring that the Bucks have badly needed. Brook Lopez and George Hill each continue to deal with back injuries. Lopez won’t play Wednesday, but Hill is listed as probable.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s team-high 26 points weren’t enough in the loss against Atlanta. Jrue Holiday added 19 points and eight assists, while Grayson Allen had 18 points. Antetokounmpo has once again carried Milwaukee through the early part of the season and leads the team in almost every major statistical category. The Greek Freak averages team highs in points (26.5), rebounds (11.3), assists (6.0), steals (1.1) and blocks (1.7).