The Los Angeles Lakers (40-23) and Milwaukee Bucks (36-28) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Bucks are 7-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread (Bucks -7), with the over/under set at 224.5 total points. Milwaukee is a -275 favorite to win outright, while Los Angeles is +220 to pull off the upset.
Let’s get to my Lakers vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, March 13.
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Lakers vs Bucks Prediction
Over/Under
My Lakers vs. Bucks best bet is on the Under at 224.5 total points, with the best line currently available at BetMGM. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
My Pick: Under 224.5
Lakers vs Bucks Odds, Spread, Picks
Thursday, March 13
7:30 p.m. ET
TNT
Lakers OddsSpreadTotalMoneyline+7
-110
224.5
-115o / -105u
+220
Bucks OddsSpreadTotalMoneyline-7
-110
224.5
-115o / -105u
-275
- Lakers vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -7
- Lakers vs. Bucks over/under: 224.5 total points
- Lakers vs. Bucks moneyline: Bucks -275, Lakers +220
- Lakers vs. Bucks best bet: Under 224.5 (-105)
Los Angeles Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks NBA Thursday Preview
The Lakers face off against the Bucks in Milwaukee on Thursday night. Both teams are looking to solidify their place in the Playoff hunt in an important matchup between these two teams.
The Bucks have listed both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard as Probable on the injury report for this game. The Lakers continue to be without LeBron James (groin), Rui Hachimura (knee), and Jaxson Hayes (knee) and they have listed Luka Doncic (ankle) as Questionable tonight. Considering this is the front end of a back-to-back with the Nuggets tomorrow, Luka’s status may be a bit more in flux.
The Bucks and the Lakers are neck and neck in advanced metrics over the course of the season with the Bucks having a +1.8 Adjusted Net Rating and the Lakers at +1.5, per Dunks and Threes. Over the last two weeks, the Bucks are up to +5.2 while the Lakers are sitting at +3.4, per Cleaning the Glass. The Lakers are just a touch behind offensively.
One of the issues for the Lakers has been finding consistent offense as they blend their trio of ball-dominant players. While LeBron is out, Luka sees a clear uptick in not only his Usage, but in the Lakers playing more Luka ball.
What has been stunning, is when Luka plays without both Reaves and LeBron, the Lakers have a +27.83 Net Rating in 68 minutes. This is better than any other combination of the LeBron, Luka, and Reaves trio. The key is that the offense absolutely cooks with a 133 Offensive Rating, per PBP Stats. They still have not unlocked the cohesion offensively.
The Bucks have been excellent since the All-Star Break and the biggest edge they have in this game is Giannis. The Lakers simply do not have the size to deal with him on the interior. His points prop is set at 29.5, and he should surpass that. However, I also like adding assists, anticipating that the Lakers may send double teams his way. I’ll lock in 35.5 Points + Assists.
This game is a showdown between two title hopefuls, despite the Lakers not being at full health. The Lakers have been surprisingly good against the spread this season and are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games while the Bucks are just 5-4-1. This spread has ballooned to Lakers +7 amidst all of the injury issues they are dealing with.
The biggest concern is that they will not be able to generate enough offense, especially if Luka sits. Considering the Lakers are 8-2 to the under over their last 10 games and the Bucks are 5-5, I’ll grab under 224.5.
For my same game parlay, I’ll target the best matchup on the floor and take Giannis 25+ Points, Giannis 5+ Assists, and Austin Reaves 30+ PRA, which comes out to +110 at DraftKings.
Lakers vs Bucks Betting Prediction
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Giannis Antetokounmpo 25+ Points
- Giannis Antetokounmpo 5+ Assists
- Austin Reaves 30+ Points + Rebounds + Assists
Parlay Payout: +110
Lakers vs. Bucks Betting Trends
- 66% of bets and 59% of the money are on the Lakers to cover the spread
- 51% of bets and 52% of the money on the moneyline are on the Bucks to win outright
- 79% of bets and 77% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NBA public betting & money percentages page.
