Ricky Dimon
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A potential preview of the NBA Finals will be on display when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. Sure, we are getting ahead of ourselves when we mention the NBA Finals, but there is no denying that these two teams are serious contenders. After all, the Lakers captured the title in 2019-20 and the Bucks were seeded first in the Eastern Conference only to fall short again in the playoffs. Two months into this season, Los Angeles is No. 1 in the West and Milwaukee is second in the East—just a half-game behind Philadelphia.
As the marquee matchup on Thursday’s slate, Lakers-Bucks deserves the same game parlay treatment. Let’s take a look at the best such option for this showdown, and be sure to check out our full preview of the game for picks on the side and total.
Milwaukee Bucks ML (-108)
Alternate total Over 232.5 points (+134)
Khris Middleton Over 21.5 points (-110)
Dennis Schroder Over 4.5 assists (-124)
Parlay odds: +1173
Part of the value in same game parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is much of the plan here. We feel good about the Bucks’ chances of emerging victorious in a high-scoring contest, and a big performance by Milwaukee sharpshooter Khris Middleton would help in both departments. Lakers guard Dennis Schroder handing out his fair share of assists also correlates nicely with an over play.
Milwaukee Bucks ML (-108)
The Lakers are coming off a stupefying loss to Golden State in which they led by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Although the Bucks also lost their most recent outing, that was far more understandable because it came against Brooklyn and resulted in a 125-123 thriller, at the end of which Middleton had a potential game-winning three that went in and out. As expected, Jrue Holiday has made an instant impact in providing support for Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee is 6-1 at home this season and should be able to get the job done once again.
Alternate total Over 232.5 points (+134)
This game should be every bit as entertaining as advertised. Not only will it likely be competitive, but the pace of play can be expected to be fast. Although the Lakers don’t push the ball a ton, they are more than happy to oblige when their opposition wants to employ that kind of game-plan—and the Bucks will on Thursday. Head coach Mike Budenholzer’s team is eighth in the NBA in possessions per game. More possessions mean more scoring opportunities for Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Holiday, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. With that kind of star power on the floor, expect a lot of points.
Khris Middleton Over 21.5 points (-110)
Middleton has been outstanding so far this season—far better than he was throughout the 2020-21 campaign. Holiday’s presence has actually taken some pressure off Middleton, who no longer feels like Antetokounmpo’s only help. The veteran small forward is shooting 52.7 percent from the floor (the best in his career) and 43.9 percent from three-point land (also his best ever so far). Middleton has scored 25 points in back-to-back games, and one of those efforts came even when he went 0-for-5 from deep. In other words, he is playing so well right now that he is finding ways to score even when his outside shot is off.
Dennis Schroder Over 4.5 assists (-124)
Since the calendar turned from 2020 to 2021, Schroder has exceeded this assist quota on five of nine occasions. There is no reason why he shouldn’t do it again when—as mentioned above—the Lakers’ pace of play will probably be faster than it is against most opponents. Schroder is more than capable of excelling in that kind of situation; it will play into his hands in terms of both quality and quantity. The German is playing well in his own right for his new team, and LeBron and A.D. should make him look even better than he really is.
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