Pick: Bucks -8.5
Odds: -110
$100 Could Win You…$190
The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers are two title contenders, but both have fallen on hard times of late. The Bucks were thrashed the other night by a Clippers team missing Paul George, while the Lakers are currently playing without both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Both teams hope to be on the right track by the time the playoffs start. Milwaukee has fallen to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the NBA’s best record in each of the last two seasons. The Lakers, meanwhile, have tumbled to fourth in the West as their two stars remain sidelined. Neither player has a timetable for his return, so there’s a chance LA starts the playoffs without home-court advantage.
Moneyline Betting Odds: Bucks vs Lakers
- Los Angeles Lakers (+300)
- Milwaukee Bucks (-370)
Spread Betting Odds: Bucks at Lakers
- Los Angeles Lakers +8.5 (-110)
- Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 (-110)
Over/Under Betting Odds: Milwaukee vs Los Angeles
- Over 222 (-110)
- Under 222 (-110)
The two teams will tangle in downtown LA on Wednesday night. The Bucks are heavy 8.5-point favorites here in a game with an option for betting the over/under of 222 points.
Can the Lakers Stop Giannis?
While LA is still shorthanded, the reigning champs will get some help tonight. Andre Drummond, who was plucked off the buyout market after being released by the Cavaliers late last week, is set to make his debut with the Purple and Gold tonight. Drummond, a two-time All-Star, hasn’t played since February 12. The Cavs effectively deactivated Drummond while they sought a trade, but they were ultimately forced to buy him out of his deal when no viable trade offer came in.
Drummond has always been able to put up numbers, and this season has been no exception. The UConn product is averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and nearly 3.0 blocks/steals per game. The question is whether his numbers actually amount to any tangible contribution. Drummond has been the NBA’s best rebounder for the past half-decade, but he has never had much of a positive impact on a winning team.
Back to work. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/aFUKp84D2O
— Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummond) March 29, 2021
Regardless, the Lakers can use his size to try and slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo. Marc Gasol has proven to be a rather useless addition, while Montrezl Harrell isn’t much of a rim protector. Drummond is a big body that can help the Lakers try and protect the paint against Giannis, who will likely otherwise face very little resistance here. Antetokounmpo has struggled by his standards in recent games, but he did put up 25 points and 12 rebounds the last time these two teams met back in January.
Clearly, the Lakers will miss Davis in this matchup. AD is one of the few players in the league with the length and athleticism to slow Giannis down. Without him, we can expect Frank Vogel to try all sorts of different things to keep Antetokounmpo in check. Drummond, Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will all likely get a shot at defending the Greek Freak in this one.
Can the Lakers Score Enough to Keep Up?
The defense will be a big issue for the Lakers tonight, but they will also have to find a way to keep up with one of the best offensive teams in the NBA. Milwaukee may not be quite as potent offensively as they were a season ago, but this team is still fifth in the league in offensive rating. Amid a recent rough stretch, the Lakers have fallen to 17th in that same category.
LA does have some weaponry, of course. Dennis Schroder is averaging better than 17 points per game so far this month, and he has topped 20 points in three of his last five games. Kuzma is also up to 16.5 points per game so far in March, while Harrell is the team’s leading scorer (19.5) this month. Harrell has gone over 20 points four times in the last six games.
While there are still a few capable offensive players left in the lineup, the team’s overall numbers have been way down since LeBron and Davis went out. The Lakers have been held to 101 points or fewer in each of their last three games. Two of those were wins over the lowly Cavaliers and Magic, but the Bucks are certainly a significantly more daunting opponent.
What’s the Best Bet?
We will certainly see our fair share of upsets between now and the end of the season. Just last night, the Magic beat the Clippers in Los Angeles as +575 moneyline underdogs. The Lakers aren’t quite that low tonight (+295), but it would still be quite a surprise if the home team actually emerged victorious in this one.
Milwaukee Bucks -8.5 (-110)
The Bucks haven’t been playing their best basketball of the season, but this is a good get-right spot for them. Milwaukee’s injury report is clean beyond Bobby Portis and PJ Tucker. Antetokounmpo alone should be enough to carry the Bucks in this one, but Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are perfectly capable of picking up the slack if Antetokounmpo’s struggles continue.
Despite a more underwhelming win/loss record, the Bucks (+6.0) still have the best point differential in the Eastern Conference. For the odds listed at online sportsbooks, I like Milwaukee to cover the spread tonight against an overmatched Lakers outfit.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
