LeBron James and the Lakers host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in a star-studded Friday night matchup (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN), with both teams looking to rebound after bad losses. Today we will look into the odds and help you identify some bets and player props to attack so you can roll into the weekend in style.
The Lakers have endured a rough ride in the wild, wild West, just barely clinging to the 10th seed to sneak into the Play-In. Despite the ageless LeBron playing fantastic ball, Anthony Davis healthy and as solid as ever, and Rui Hachimura enjoying a breakout, L.A. just can’t seem to get over the hump in the crowded Western Conference. Most recently, De’Aaron Fox and the feisty Kings dropped Darvin Ham’s squad 130-120.
The Bucks won’t be an easy challenge, either. After a bumpy rollout of the Doc Rivers era in Milwaukee, Giannis and company have won six of their past seven games since the All-Star break. Damian Lillard has knocked down 23 of his past 52 three-point attempts over the past six games, and Giannis is now averaging 30.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 61.8 percent from the field on the season.
MORE: How the Bucks have improved — but also gotten worse — under Doc
Can King James and the Lakers hold court like they have in 22 of their 33 home games this campaign? Or, will Milwaukee come in guns blazing and spoil the Friday night fun for the Crypto crowd? Let’s look into the odds for this primetime clash, and serve you up some best bets from BetMGM so you can make some weekend cash.
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Lakers vs. Bucks prediction, player props, bets against the spread and moneyline
All odds and props are from BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.
- ATS: Bucks -1.5 (-105) | Lakers +1.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Bucks -135 | Lakers +110
- Over/under: O 232.5 (-105) | U 232.5 (-115)
The Bucks opened as slight road favorites, but don’t expect oddsmakers to give the home team more than a few points. Los Angeles has gone 22-11 at Crypto.com this season, while Milwaukee is just 16-15 on the road despite its recent run of success.
Before you get too tempted by the OVER on the modest total, know that the UNDER has gone 7-3 over each of these teams’ past 10 games. The UNDER is also 17-14-1 across the Lakers’ home games, and an incredible 11-19-1 across the Bucks’ road games.
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Lakers vs. Bucks predictions, best bets
Many will look at this game and each team’s respective records and immediately smash-bet the Bucks. We think that might be a mistake! The Lakers haven’t been bad of late, winning 10 of their past 15 games and staying relatively healthy in the process. They got destroyed by a red-hot De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk on Wednesday, but Sac-town would have beaten just about any team in the league with shooting splits of 55.7/38.7/83.3.
We also can’t overlook how good the Lakers have been at home (22-11), compared to how putrid the Bucks have been away from Fiserv (16-15). Milwaukee only managed 90 points at Chase Center on Wednesday, shooting 38 percent from the field while allowing Golden State to shoot 56 percent and knock down 19 3-pointers.
And the Bucks have size, but the Lakers have tenacity. LeBron remains the highest-scoring transition player in the NBA, and his downhill fervor continues to have a contagious effect on his teammates. AD defends the rim and scores tough interior baskets as well as any big in the league. Rui Hachimura’s energy has been a huge plus, too, and when those three get going, they open up the floor for their outside shooters.
If you’re a “what have you done for me lately?” kind of bettor, you must agree that the Bucks offered little room for optimism against the Warriors the other night. If you’re a fan of past head-to-head matchups and stats, it’s worth noting that the last time LeBron and AD both played against Milwaukee, they combined for 72 points to lead L.A. to a road victory (Dec. 2022). We’ll certainly be in the minority here, but that’s where a lot of the betting wins tend to come from these days.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Lakers 123, Bucks 117 — The Lakers win (+105) and cover (+1.5), and the score finishes well OVER the projected total (232.5).
Lakers vs. Bucks: Top player prop bet
LeBron James points — OVER 25.5 (-115)
LeBron has been scorched Earth as of late, averaging 28.4 points per game over the Lakers’ past seven contests. We’re clearly seeing “playoff race Bron” in action, which is a wonderful sight for NBA fans to behold each year.
The league’s all-time leading scorer dropped 44 on the Bucks the last time he faced them and Milwaukee has surrendered over 118 points per game on the road this season. Like Eric Clapton in the 90s, ride with the King.