Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers Spread Pick & Analysis

Milwaukee Bucks (37-17 SU, 29-22-3 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (25-30 SU, 25-27-3 ATS)
When: Thursday, February 9th, 10:00 PM (ET)
Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles
TV: TNT

Point Spread: Mil -5.5/LAL +5.5
Total: 239
Money Line: Milwaukee Bucks -235/+191

Notable Injuries

Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Probable) Knee
• Brook Lopez (Probable) Illness
• Joe Ingles (Out) Injury Management
• Serge Ibaka (Out) Personal
• Bobby Portis (Out) Knee

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Probable) Foot
• LeBron James (Questionable) Ankle
• D’Angelo Russell (Out) Trade Pending
• Malik Beasley (Out) Trade Pending
• Jarred Vanderbilt (Out) Trade Pending

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Milwaukee is 37-17 overall. When taking to the road, Milwaukee has a mark of 14-12 and a win percentage of 54%. Currently, the team is 2nd in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 29-22-3 vs. the spread. In their matchup against Los Angeles, the Milwaukee Bucks have won 8 straight games and will look to push that mark to 9 in a row.

In their previous game, the Milwaukee team emerged victorious against the Trail Blazers, winning by a margin of 4 points as predicted. Brook Lopez shone for the Bucks, scoring 27 points on a shooting percentage of 75.0%. The Bucks not only won the game but also successfully covered the spread.

Heading into the game, Los Angeles is 25-30 overall. When playing at home, Los Angeles has a mark of 13-13 and a win percentage of 50%. Currently, the team is 13th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 25-27-3 vs. the spread. The Lakers need a win in today’s matchup vs. Milwaukee to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

Los Angeles most recently lost to the Thunder by a score of 133-130. The team high 38 points from LeBron James was not enough to come home with the win. The Lakers were 7-point favorites going into the game.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Lakers picked up the win 133-129 win over the Bucks. Heading into the game, Los Angeles was the 8.0-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Although the Lakers have the better ATS mark across the previous five head-head matchups at 3-2, the average scoring margin sits in favor of Milwaukee, as they averaged 117 points per game while allowing 112. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 229 points per game.

Analysis

This season, the Bucks have loved to get up and down the court, as they are currently 11th in the league in possessions per game. However, this has not fully translated into the offensive success they are looking for, as Milwaukee is 14th in scoring at 114.5 points per game. The three-point shot has been a big part of Milwaukee’s offensive game plan, as they are ranked 4th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 35.9% of their looks from the outside. On defense, the Bucks allow an average of 112.13 points per game, placing them 19th in the league. So far, opposing teams are hitting 35.73% of their looks from deep vs. Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the top scorer for Milwaukee, averaging 32.2 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 54.1%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Jrue Holiday, with an average of 19.1 points per game.

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 117.3 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.6 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 26th in 3-point shooting percentage at 33.8%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.1 attempts per contest. The defense has been an area of concern for Los Angeles, as they are currently allowing 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.38% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

Heading into the game, LeBron James is listed as questionable on the injury report. This season, he leads the team with a per-game scoring average of 30.2. Currently, Anthony Davis is 2nd on the team in scoring at 26.7 points per game.

Betting Trends

• The Bucks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a losing straight-up record.
• The Bucks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Lakers are 8-18-1 ATS in their last 27 games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record.
• The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

In most instances, a trade creates a void and chemistry issues. In this case, the Lakers are so happy to see Westbrook gone; just the opposite may happen! I LOVE the Lakers getting +5.5 at home Thursday night!