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The Milwaukee Bucks head to Hollywood on Friday night to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in a battle of conference leaders.
The Bucks have the best record in the NBA at 53-9 and they are also the top team in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee holds a 9.5 games lead over the Toronto Raptors in the East and they have won eight out of their last 10 assignments. On the other hand, the Lakers are the Western Conference leaders at 47-13 on the season. L.A. is 5.5 games ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the West and the Lakers have won nine out of their last 10 games played. The Bucks beat the Lakers 111-104 in their first meeting of the season last December 19, 2019, in Milwaukee.
Buck Bounce Back
Two nights after suffering am 89-105 trouncing at the hands of the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back with a strong 119-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night to remain as the only team in the league not to lose back to back games this season. Milwaukee now starts a three-game road trip in Los Angeles.
2019 NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks as usual with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Donte DiVincenzo added a career-high 19 points while Khris Middleton scored 20 points. Eric Bledsoe contributed 16 points and Wesley Matthews chipped in 15 for Milwaukee who played without George Hill and Kyle Korver.
Milwaukee is the top-scoring team in the league at 119.1 points per game. They are also the number one rebounding squad in the NBA this season at 52.1 boards grabbed per contest and are 7th in passing at 26.1 assists per game. The Bucks have the 2nd best scoring defense overall at only 106.8 points per game allowed.
Ninth Win in Ten Game
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 120-107 on Tuesday night to pick up their ninth win in their last 10 outings. The Lakers started slowly before unloading a 44-10 run to end the first half that broke the game wide open. With the win, the Lakers improved to 47-13 on the season, five-game ahead of the Denver Nuggets in the race for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Anthony Davis led the Purple and Gold with 37 points including 18 in the decisive second period. LeBron James scored 22 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and issued 14 assists for the Lakers who won their second straight game. Dwight Howard added 11 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 10 off the bench.
Los Angeles ranks 7th in the league in scoring at 114.6 points per game. They are 6th best passing team overall at 26.1 assists per game and are also 8th off the glass with an average of 46.1 boards grabbed per contest. The Lakers are 5th in scoring defense at 107.1 points per game allowed.
Who Wins?
The Bucks are 7-1 SU in their last eight games played. Milwaukee is 11-2 SU in their last 13 games played on the road, and 7-1 SU in their last eight games against the Western Conference. The Lakers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played. Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Bucks are 6-0 SU in their last six games played against the Lakers.
The Bucks are having their best regular season ever. This team is the fastest in league history to make the playoffs. Milwaukee is comfortably ahead of the field not just in the East but in the entire league. The Bucks will miss the bench outputs of George Hill and Kyle Korver here but they have more than enough firepower to put another beating on the Lakers.
Los Angeles is the best team in the West. The Lakers have lost just once in their last 10 outings. LeBron James and Anthony Davis continue to dominate for the purple and gold but to beat the Bucks, they need their role players to step up and make their shots. If not, this is going to be a long night for L.A.
These are the top two teams in the league this season but the Bucks have a better record. They are both in the Top 10 in offense and scoring defense but again, the Bucks have the better numbers. Milwaukee also beat Los Angeles in their first meeting of the season. Both the Bucks and Lakers are also the hottest teams in the league after the break at 6-1. I think the Bucks have been more consistent but I think home-court advantage will be the key for the Lakers here in a close game.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers
Other Bets to Make
Milwaukee is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games played. The Bucks are 2-4 SU in their last six games played on the road, and 5-1 ATS in their last six games played against an opponent from the Pacific Division. Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in their last five games played. The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games played at home, and 7-0 ATS in their last seven games played in March. Head to head, the Bucks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games played against the Lakers.
Bucks
PK (-115)
Lakers
PK (-105)
Odds from SportsBettingas of 03/06/20
Milwaukee is the better team here when it comes to performance this season. The Bucks have been more consistent and they play better as a team. They also have the 2019 MVP on their team. However, the Lakers have perhaps the best duo in the league this season and while two players cannot win a game, they can impact this game like no other. The Lakers shoot better from downtown when at home. I think that they avenge their loss to the Bucks earlier this season.
Prediction: Lakers (PK)/b>
The total has gone under in each of the last five games played by the Bucks. The under is 17-13-1 in Milwaukee’s last 31 games played on the road. The total has gone under in three out of the last five games played by the Lakers. The under is also 3-2 in Los Angeles’ last five home games. Head to head, the total has gone under in four out of the last six meetings between these two teams. However, the over is 4-1 in their last five head to head meetings in Los Angeles.
Over
227 (-105)
Under
227 (-115)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 03/06/20
These teams combined for 215 points in their first meeting of the season and the under is 2-1 in the last three meetings between these two teams. The Bucks have allowed 105 or fewer points in five out of their last six outings while the Lakers have conceded 109 or fewer in six out of their last nine assignments. No question that these teams play a fast-paced game and are two of the most prolific offenses this season. However, I think defense is going to win it for either team and they will try to hold down each other here.
Prediction: Under 227
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