NBA Betting – Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to tread water as they navigate a stretch without Anthony Davis and LeBron James. After losing four straight when James went down, they’ve rebounded by winning the last two, albeit against Cleveland and Orlando. Still, a win’s a win and the Lakers needed something positive. They’ll try and extend that run to three in a row when the Milwaukee Bucks pay a visit on Wednesday. The Bucks are in the midst of another tailspin having lost three straight following an eight-game winning streak. Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600).
Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 31, 2021, 10 p.m. ET
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Opening NBA Odds: Milwaukee -8.5, O/U 222
Bucks at Lakers TV Coverage: ESPN
Odds Analysis
The Bucks can’t seem to make up their minds on who they want to be. It’s been a streaky season to say the least for a team that rarely dropped consecutive games the past two seasons. There was a five-game slide last month followed by a stretch of 13 wins in 14 games. Now the Bucks are trying to end a three-game losing streak that included a 129-105 setback to the Clippers last time out. They are 0-4 ATS in their last four games and 1-6 ATS in their last seven. The Bucks are laying 8.5-points on the opening line as they play the second game of a six-game Western Conference road trip. The Lakers got back in the win column thanks to Cleveland and Orlando, teams trying to stay out of the Eastern Conference basement. They were much-needed wins after the club dropped four in a row and looked lost without James and AD. Overall the Lakers are fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 30-17 SU and 22-25 ATS.
Milwaukee Bucks
It’s evident what has failed the Bucks during their three-game losing streak. The second-highest scoring team in the NBA averaging 119 points, they were held below that number in each of the setbacks and averaged just 105 points. They were held to 96 points by the Knicks when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Donte DiVincenzo all sat out. The quartet was back in the lineup against the Clippers and couldn’t change the outcome. The Bucks lost 129-105 despite 32 points from Giannis and 24 from Holiday.
The Bucks face another strong defensive team in the Lakers as they look to end their current slide. They lost the earlier matchup 113-106 back in January again struggling to find their pace offensively. Milwaukee shot over 50 percent from the field but they were just 9 of 28 from three-point range. That proved to be difference as the Lakers were 19 of 37 from distance. Milwaukee won’t have to worry about James or Davis on Wednesday instead they’ll see a guy they are quite familiar with in Andre Drummond. The Bucks also have some moving parts with the addition of Jeff Teague while P.J. Tucker continues to work his way in the rotation. They will have time to work things out during the road trip. The Bucks are 11-10 SU and 7-14 ATS in away games.
Los Angeles Lakers
Winning games still matters, but for the Lakers it’s all about the postseason and being ready for another title run. They didn’t expect to be without both James and AD for an extended period, but it will make them stronger as long as those two return in good health. And the team is doing its best to make sure that happens by not rushing either of the superstars back in the lineup. There was a ray of with back-to-back wins as the club moved to 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS without James and Davis in the lineup. They even lost outright in the game LeBron got hurt.
“We’re not playing for holding one. We’re paid to do the same job, which is win games. We’re going to try to continue to keep rolling until they get back,” Montrezl Harrell said. It’s Harrell who’s seen an increased role during the spate of injuries and he’s delivered. He scored 18 points against the Magic and is averaging nearly 21 points over the last five games. The Lakers will introduce new acquisition Andre Drummond on Wednesday. The big man averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds with Cavs but hasn’t played since Feb. 12.
Bet Bucks at Lakers at BookMaker.eu
It’s been a struggle as the Lakers learn how to maneuver without LeBron and AD. Now they’re throwing a new hire into the mix in Drummond. Beating bottom feeders Cleveland and Orlando is one thing, taking down one of the top teams in the entire league is another. The Bucks will have to adjust their defensive game plan and I like for them to do that. However, laying eight points is tough for a team that’s struggled on the road which is why I’m backing the Lakers.
NBA Score Prediction: Bucks 112, Lakers 106
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
