Los Angeles (30-17 SU, 22-25 ATS) has won two straight following a four-game losing skid, but those wins came against the Cavaliers and Magic. The Lakers face a much tougher task against Milwaukee (29-17, 20-26), which is hungry for a victory of its own after losing its last three.
- Date/Time: March 31, 10 p.m. ET
- Arena: Staples Center
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Bucks -8 | O/U 223.5 (Line History)
- Bucks vs Lakers Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
If you’re looking to cash in on the Lakers’ struggles without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup, you might be late to the party. Oddsmakers have certainly adjusted, making LA a home underdog of 8 points for the first time in nearly three years.
Milwaukee News & Notes
The Bucks have taken their fans on a roller-coaster ride over the past six weeks, sandwiching a current three-game losing streak and a five-game skid in February around a 14-game stretch in which they won 13 of 14 games.
Bettors haven’t been any happier with Milwaukee lately, seeing the Bucks cover just one of their last seven games overall and one of their last eight on the road.
Coach Mike Budenholzer called out his team’s effort on the glass following Monday’s 129-105 loss to the Clippers when Milwaukee allowed 13 offensive rebounds and 25 second-chance points to LA. The Bucks also struggled offensively at times in the halfcourt, scoring just 19 points in the fourth quarter, when they failed to force a single turnover.
At least Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to form against the Clippers, hitting 10 of his 21 shots for 32 points. The Greek Freak, who was scratched twice last week due to a left knee sprain, had averaged just 14.5 points in his previous two games.
Los Angeles News & Notes
It’s not the return of James or Davis, but the Lakers’ frontcourt will get a big boost when LA takes the court Wednesday night. Andre Drummond, who signed with the Lakers over the weekend, will start at center in his first action since February 12 with Cleveland. In 25 games with the Cavs this year, Drummond averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds while shooting 48.4 percent from the field.
Although the Lakers are coming off consecutive victories for the first time in nearly two weeks, neither win should be enough to convince anyone that LA has figured out how to play without James and Davis.
Los Angeles trailed Orlando by five points midway through the fourth quarter of Monday’s 96-93 victory, three days after going into halftime down 51-44 to a short-handed Cavaliers squad. Charlotte is the only team with a winning record that the Lakers have beaten since February 26.
A sputtering offense has been the biggest issue lately for the Lakers, who have scored more than 101 points just once in their last six games. Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in those contests and has gone UNDER the total in all but one of them.
Betting Pick: UNDER 223.5
With the Lakers struggling to score and Milwaukee coming off a poor defensive effort, it seems unlikely that we see a high-scoring affair in this one.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- Milwaukee is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
- Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
- The UNDER is 6-1 in Los Angeles’ last 7 games.
