After a 3-1 win on the homestand, the Los Angeles Lakers will embark on a six-game road trip starting with a trip to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles currently sits in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, three games behind the 11th-seeded Rockets.
Even if the Lakers play a quality team in the Bucks, they still have the seventh-softest schedule remaining, with opponents having a combined winning percentage of .472, according to Tankasson.
So perhaps it makes sense for the Lakers to prioritize star player LeBron James’ health over winning games for the rest of the season.
James (ankle) missed Tuesday night’s game against the Bucks. Christian Wood (knee), Jared Vanderbilt (foot) and Gabe Vincent (knee) were also ruled out.
With the news that James will miss this game, the Bucks have emerged as a 9.5 favorite to win after opening the season at -4.5.
If you missed out on the best numbers, you’re probably too late to play in Milwaukee.
However, bettors can still find value by backing the Bucks with a -5.5 first-half point spread.
Lakers vs. Bucks odds
| spread | total | money line |
|---|---|---|
| Lakers +9.5 (-110) | 231.5 or higher (-112) | Lakers +340 |
| Bucks -9.5 (-110) | Less than 231.5 (-108) | Bucks -430 |
lakers analysis
What I always worry about is substitute teacher effect When James isn’t on the court, he’s with the Lakers.
Surprisingly, Los Angeles is 5-4 straight up without James and 4-5 against the spread (ATS) this season, according to GimmeTheDog.
But there’s a bit of revenge for the Bucks, who lost 123-122 on the road to the Lakers less than three weeks ago.
To their credit, the Lakers could be a dangerous team when fully healthy, as the front office has done a good job of building a roster that complements James and Anthony Davis. .
The expectation is that Los Angeles will have a roster capable of making the playoffs. However, the reality is that the Lakers have been largely inconsistent this season.
For example, ESPN’s relative percentage index suggests the Lakers should be closer to a .500 team than a 39-32 record.
That’s not what you want from a team looking to put their hard-earned money into it.
Bucks analysis
We’ve seen a lot of storylines surrounding the Bucks this season. They fired former head coach Adrian Griffin just 43 games into the season despite a 30-13 record.
Griffin tinkered with the Bucs’ defense by doing away with the drop coverage scheme in favor of a blitz approach that allowed Brook Lopez to step back to protect the rim in pick-and-rolls and trap the ball handler. He lost the trust of the veterans in the locker room.
The decision came at a cost, as Milwaukee dropped to 20th in defensive efficiency after finishing fourth last season.
When Doc Rivers was hired to replace Griffin, he simplified Milwaukee’s defensive assignments. Since his arrival, the Bucs have improved their defensive efficiency to 14th in the league and are coming off a victory that held Oklahoma City to its lowest point total of the season.
But what is perhaps overlooked is how Khris Middleton’s injury has affected the Bucks this season.
Middleton has appeared in 46 of the Bucks’ 71 games, and Milwaukee averages about seven more points per game when he is in the lineup (123.0 vs. 116.08). He is averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists in three games since returning to action last week.
Lakers vs. Bucks picks
Looking at the first-half numbers between the Lakers and Bucks, there are some pretty obvious differences away from home.
According to us Action Lab DatabaseLos Angeles is 12-20 ATS this season, including four straight losses on the road.
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Milwaukee is 23-11-1 (67.6%) ATS at Fiserv Forum and 22-9-1 (71%) ATS at home favorites.
Both angles will be important in Tuesday’s matchup.
I don’t know if they’ll find the best spot to beat the Lakers in the first half. So I’m going to put 4.5 points on BetMGM and BuckMilwaukee to get off to a fast start on Tuesday night.
Pick: Bucks 1H -4.5 (-125, BetMGM)
