Bucks vs. Lakers: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Bucks vs. Lakers Odds
| Bucks Odds | -8.5 |
| Lakers Odds | +8.5 |
| Over/Under | 237 |
| Date | Thu, Feb. 9 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. |
| TV | TNT |
Thursday’s NBA action will conclude with a matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Entering play, Milwaukee (37-17) owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles (25-30) owns the third-worst record in the Western Conference. Ahead of tip-off, oddsmakers have the Bucks priced as 8.5-point home favorites on the spread.
Milwaukee Bucks
Portis OUT
Tonight, Bobby Portis will once again be out of the lineup as he continues to recover from a right knee sprain. Since he last played on January 23, Milwaukee is a perfect 7-0 and has outscored their opponents by 10.6 points per 100 possessions.
In that span, the Bucks rank second in the NBA in defensive efficiency, second in rebound percentage, second in opponent field goal percentage, third in opponent three-point percentage, and are allowing the second-fewest opponent assists per game. Expect this group to make life difficult for Los Angeles this evening.
Who benefits from Portis’ absence?
When Portis is off of the floor this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has dominated the ball for Milwaukee, with a 39.1% usage rate. In these situations, Antetokounmpo is averaging 35.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per 36 minutes of action.
Missing Portis, Jrue Holiday sees a notable uptick in his rebound chances and is averaging 6.5 rebounds per 36 minutes of action. In his last seven games, Holiday is averaging 6.7 rebounds and 12.0 rebound chances per contest.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Scoring King ruled OUT
Following Tuesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James has been ruled out for tonight’s action with “left ankle soreness,” according to the team. The Lakers are 21-23 in 44 games played with James in uniform this season, compared to 4-7 when he is in street clothes.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Los Angeles ranks in the 73rd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 63rd percentile in defensive efficiency this season with James on the floor, compared to the 17th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 13th percentile in defensive efficiency in his absence.
Who will step up for Los Angeles?
According to CourtIQ, when James, Russell Westbrook, and Thomas Bryant are each off of the court this season, Dennis Schroder (+8.6%) sees the largest increase in usage of any player on the Lakers roster. In these situations, Schroder is averaging 24.8 points per 36 minutes of action. Expect him to be heavily involved in the offense this evening.
Bucks vs. Lakers – Picks & Predictions
The market has not quite seemed to realize that the Milwaukee Bucks have returned to form. Following a disappointing start to the season, this group has been operating on all cylinders since Khris Middleton returned to the floor on January 23. Across their last three games, Middleton is averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in only 20.7 minutes of playing time.
After making multiple trades in the last 48 hours, Los Angeles is extremely short-handed this evening on both ends of the floor, especially with LeBron James choosing not to play tonight. Expect Milwaukee to win comfortably on Thursday in Hollywood, with the show’s brightest star on the bench.
PICK: Bucks -8.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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