Filip Tomic
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The winning streak is over for the Milwaukee Bucks, but they have a chance to start a new one as they face the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena tonight. Catch the game live from 10:00 pm ET on ESPN, right after the Minnesota Timberwolves battle the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I have prepared a Bucks vs Lakers Same Game Parlay, while you can also find out our NBA picks for today’s matchups.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 0.5 made threes (-108)
Bobby Portis Over 1.5 made threes (+112)
LeBron James to record 8+ assists (-210)
Same Game Parlay odds: +429
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 0.5 made threes (-108)
After missing the game against the Clippers, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup against Golden State on Wednesday, but sadly his Bucks couldn’t keep their winning streak alive. He was visibly bothered by the lingering Achilles’ tendinitis, which has limited his mobility — but as crazy as it might sound I think that actually helps our bet. If he is unable to attack the basket at will, the Greek Freak will settle and go for the 3-ball. He is currently on his best scoring run from downtown all season, having connected on at least 1 triple in 6 straight games. He has also made a solid run in head-to-head meetings with the Lakers, draining at least 1 shot from downtown in 6 of the last 7 games while averaging almost 36 points per game during that stretch. Los Angeles is in the bottom 10 of the NBA when it comes to 3-point defense this season, so I’m more than confident that Antetokounmpo will deliver.
Read our full Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Lakers predictions
Bobby Portis Over 1.5 made threes (+112)
The 35-point loss at Golden State on Wednesday definitely wasn’t because Portis underperformed. He finished the game with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, but more importantly for our bet he went 2-for-4 from 3-point land. It was the 2nd consecutive game in which Portis connected on a pair of 3s and the 4th time in 6 games. His perimeter shooting has been fairly consistent over the past 10 games at 41.2% efficiency, which is considered elite when it comes to players off the bench this season. With Antetokounmpo not being at 100% and Khris Middleton out of the lineup, his responsibility on offense has increased quite a bit so I expect the Bucks to go to him early and often. The #1 weakness of this Lakers defense is its 3-point coverage; teams are shooting 39.6% against the Lakers from downtown in their last 3 games. Let’s hope Portis can take advantage and continue his impressive scoring binge.
LeBron James to record 8+ assists (-210)
Consistency is the word best used to describe LeBron James this season — no matter what stat we’re talking about. He has been unbelievably productive for someone playing at the age of 39, not showing any signs of slowing down. We just saw him collect 13 assists in the home loss to the Kings on Wednesday; that was his 7th straight game of at least 8 dimes. Against the Bucks he is averaging 9 assists per game in the last 10 meetings, and only once in those 10 games has he failed to clear this line. Facing the Greek Freak is always a tough challenge, but James is not shying away even if he is no longer in his absolute prime. As a team, Milwaukee ranks 9th worst in opponent assist per game in the last 3 outings, with opponents averaging 29 assists per game against them. The Lakers’ best chance of winning on Friday is to push the tempo and have LeBron do his best Magic Johnson impression and get his teammates involved.
Lock in tonight’s NBA mega parlay at +1343 odds, featuring a pick from Bucks vs Lakers!
