LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. MILWAUKEE BUCKS ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR MARCH 26, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Los Angeles Lakers (40-32 SU, 33-39 ATS) taking on the Milwaukee Bucks (46-25 SU, 32-39 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
  
• Time: 7:30 PM ET
  
• Where: Fiserv Forum
  
• Location: Milwaukee, WI
  
• TV: TNT and SportsNet LA

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Odds (Via DraftKings)

 

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks– Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Lakers Extend Their Winning Streak To Four Games?

Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 117.7 PPG – 9TH                    
• Offensive Efficiency: 116.0 points per 100 possessions – 16TH                       
• Scoring Defense: 117.6 PPG – 23RD                   
• Defensive Efficiency: 115.9 points per 100 possessions – 16TH           

The Los Angeles Lakers currently occupy the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference. They trail the Phoenix Suns by 2.5 games for the eighth spot and they are 2.5 games ahead of the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors. They may be locked into the ninth spot given their place in the standings.

Los Angeles has produced six wins across its last 10 outings and the team enters this matchup riding a three-game winning streak. This includes wins over the Atlanta Hawks (136-105), Philadelphia 76ers (101-94), and the Indiana Pacers (150-145).

In the victory over the Pacers, not only did four of the Lakers’ starters score in double figures, but they also scored at least 20 points apiece. Anthony Davis set the tone with a team-high 36 points on 15-for-21 shooting from the floor. He also tallied 16 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. 

The ageless wonder that is LeBron James finished with a double-double that included 26 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 26 points as well to go along with five assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 25 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. 

While the Lakers shot 56.2 percent from the field and 48 percent from 3-point range, the defensive effort left a lot to be desired. The Pacers were just as efficient converting 55 percent of their overall attempts while knocking down 18 of their 36 tries from beyond the arc. And their 46-34 scoring edge in the final frame nearly helped them overcome what was a 17-point deficit.

“We allowed them to score 145, so it was terrible defensively,” Davis said, via ESPN. “They hit some shots toward the end, but we can do what we want offensively, as you could see tonight. But we’ve got to defend, especially when we’ve got a team (in trouble) like that. We don’t need to give them life, but at this point in the season, a win is a win. We’ll take it, but we’ve got to learn from it as well.”

The Lakers will need a much better defensive effort against a Milwaukee team that has lost only four times in its last 15 outings. 

Can The Bucks Salvage The Season Series Against The Purple And Gold?

Milwaukee Bucks Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 120.6 PPG – 3RD            
• Offensive Efficiency: 119.7 points per 100 possessions – 5TH              
• Scoring Defense: 116.9 PPG – 21ST                      
• Defensive Efficiency: 116.0 points per 100 possessions – 17TH             

On the other side of this matchup, the Milwaukee Bucks have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. They are ahead of the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers by 2.5 games in the standings. 

Like the Lakers, the Bucks have gone 6-4 over their last 10 decisions as well. After suffering a 122-119 setback against the Boston Celtics on Mar. 20, the Bucks have notched wins over the Brooklyn Nets (115-108) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (118-93). 

In the win over OKC, Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks’ scoring attack with a team-high 30 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor. He also collected 19 rebounds (eight offensive) and four assists. 

Brook Lopez finished with 14 points, while Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard tallied 11 points each. The Bucks are not an elite defensive team, but they held the Thunder to 37.1 percent shooting and just 23.3 percent from the 3-point line. Milwaukee played with a sense of urgency in the second half, outscoring OKC by a 70-46 margin. This included a 34-17 scoring advantage in the game-changing third quarter. 

“I think we were most excited being full strength,” Middleton told CBS Sports. “This is the team we want to be, having all our guys out there. We want to play the right way and play together.”

The Bucks will attempt to avoid being swept by the team that defeated them by a narrow 123-122 margin back on March 8. 

Now that we have set the table for this East vs. West matchup, let’s look at the betting trends for both sides. 

The Picks

The Spread

The Milwaukee Bucks opened as a 6.5-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has climbed up to 8.5 points for the home team (per OddShark.com). Here is a look at how both ball clubs have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Lakers are 8-1 ATS in their last nine contests.
• The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in their last five outings.
• Milwaukee is 5-2 ATS in its last seven March games.
• The last seven times they have played on a Tuesday, the Bucks are 1-4 against the spread.

In addition to the above trends, it is worth noting that the Bucks are 32-38-1 against the spread, while the Lakers are 32-39. These numbers make this one a difficult one to predict. 

However, the Bucks are 7-15 ATS when they are favored to win by 8.5 points or more. On the other side of the narrative, Los Angeles is 2-1 ATS in games in which they were installed as the underdog of 8.5 points or more. With that in mind, I am going with the road team to cover here. 

Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers (+8.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 233.5 points. The line has slightly dipped to 232 points (per Pre-Game.com). Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone UNDER four times in the Lakers’ last five road games.
• The UNDER total is 5-1 in Los Angeles’s last six road matchups against the Bucks.
• The total has gone UNDER 13 times in the Bucks’ last 19 outings.
• In Milwaukee’s last 16 matchups against Western Conference opponents, the total has gone UNDER 11 times.

Prediction: OVER 232 points

Player Prop Bets

LeBron James is listed as doubtful for this matchup against the Bucks. Anthony Davis is listed as probable as he is nursing an Achilles injury. 

Taking that into consideration, the next man up for the Lakers is D’Angelo Russell. He currently has -125 odds of scoring more than 20.5 points and -105 odds of finishing with less than 20.5 points. 

Here is a look at how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• In 16 career games against the Milwaukee Bucks, he is averaging 18.4 points per contest.
• On the season, Russell is averaging 18.0 points per game across 65 outings.
• In 30 road contests, he is averaging 16.6 points per contest.
• Russell has played against Eastern Conference teams 22 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 18.2 points per outing.
• In six matchups against Central Division opponents, he is averaging 23.5 points per game.
• Russell has played on Tuesday night nine times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 15.3 points per outing.
• Over his last 10 outings, Russell has averaged 20.2 points per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup five times during that stretch.

Prediction: D’Angelo Russell UNDER 20.5 points

Giannis Antetokounmpo – who leads the Bucks in scoring (30.7 PPG), rebounding (11.3) and steals (1.2) — is listed as probable for this contest due to a lingering hamstring injury. With that in mind, Damian Lillard is the player to watch for the Bucks. He currently has -125 odds of scoring more than 22.5 points and -105 odds of finishing with less than 22.5 points. 

Will Lillard’s season numbers favorably compare against the estimated points total for this matchup? Let’s look at the tale of the tape to find out. 

• In 36 career games against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 28.6 points per contest.
• This season, Lillard is averaging 24.4 points per game across 66 appearances.
• In 34 home contests, he is averaging 25.4 PPG.
• Lillard has played against Western Conference teams 23 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 25.5 points per outing.
• In six Tuesday night appearances this season, Lillard is averaging 24.8 PPG.
• In eight matchups against Pacific Division opponents, he is averaging 27.6 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Lillard has averaged 25.5 points per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup six times during that stretch.

Prediction: Damian Lillard OVER 22.5 points

James Tillman’s Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Picks

• The Spread: Los Angeles Lakers (+8.5) OddShark
• Over/Under: OVER 232 points (Pre-Game.com)
• Player Prop Bet #1: D’Angelo Russell UNDER 26.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Damian Lillard OVER 22.5 points