Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Lakers: Lakers praying for LeBron to return

Two teams who have not been impressive so far despite star-power meet in this game. The Western Conference team Los Angeles Lakers clash against the reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers are just one game above 50%+ won record while the Bucks are two games below it. For quick notes, simply head over to “Expert Betting Tips”.

Milwaukee Bucks: Middleton’s presence is missing

Not the expected start

For the NBA reigning champions, a record of 6-8 is indeed terrible but the team is missing their star Khris Middleton and Center Brook Lopez which is one of the major causes. The team is in the bottom-fifteen in terms of points per game and shoots 44.1% from the field, both areas which can be addressed by Middleton. Grayson Allen has been a revelation in terms of shooting but Jrue Holiday has been a tad up-and-down.

The defensive struggles

The Bucks have been terrible defensively recently, giving away 120 and 122 points in the last two games. Overall, the team figures in bottom ten in points allowed per game at 109.8. Now, this is another area where Khris Middleton can give them a lot of impetus. Another reason for the defensive struggles has been the absence of Brook Lopez, who is the last line of defense at the Center position. Overall, the Bucks struggle can be temporary considering the championship core is pretty much the same. The team is also heavily missing PJ Tucker who propelled the defense last year.

Los Angeles Lakers: And we go down, down, down

The LeBron factor

The Lakers have lost a ton of games without LeBron James. Anthony Davis has tried his best to keep the time alive while Westbrook has been improving but LeBron’s directions help them become a more well-oiled unit on both ends of the floor. The Lakers are especially terrible defensively, giving away 112.8 PPG, which places them in bottom-three. The team has given away 120 points or more in three of the last five games. The Lakers really need to pin it down on defense.

The bench except Anthony has been inconsistent

Thanks to Talen Horton-Tucker’s return, some offensive issues have been addressed but Malik Monk has not been consistent so far while he hasn’t been terrible, he has not been clinical either. Carmelo has done all in his power to keep the offensive machinery going, but you can’t expect him to bail you out every game. It can’t be stressed enough that LeBron James gives this team a lot of impetus in all regards and a thinned-down bench has fared even worse without him.

Active Key Players

Milwaukee Bucks

• Points Leaders: Giannis Antetokounmpo: 26.5, Grayson Allen: 16.0, Jrue Holiday: 14.3
• Rebounds Leaders: Giannis Antetokounmpo: 11.1, Bobby Portis: 7.3, Pat Connaughton: 5.0
• Assists Leaders: Giannis Antetokounmpo: 6.0, Jrue Holiday: 5.8, George Hill: 3.2

Los Angeles Lakers

• Points Leaders: Anthony Davis: 24.2, Talen Horton-Tucker: 22.5, Russell Westbrook: 19.4
• Rebounds Leaders: Anthony Davis: 10.9, Russell Westbrook: 8.7, DeAndre Jordan: 5.5
• Assists Leaders: Russell Westbrook: 8.3, Rajon Rondo: 4.6, Anthony Davis: 2.9.

Expert Betting tips

LeBron is highly likely to miss while Khris Middleton will return for this game. What does this mean? A sign that the Bucks will be back with their old flow which can spell doom for the Lakers team which struggles against quality squads. We think the Bucks have an edge in this match-up, playing at home and playing against a struggling Lakers team.

Here are some quick notes:

• The Bucks have lost 7 of their last ten games;
• Lakers have scored 83 and 103 in two of the last three games, both losses;
• Davis has scored 20 or more and pulled down 10 or more rebounds in most of the matches;
• Westbrook has been shooting better recently but turnovers are an issue;
• Grayson Allen has played brilliantly so far;
• Brook Lopez and Donte Divincenzo are most likely to remain out, especially Donte;
• Khris Middleton is most likely going to return for this match;
• Do check the injury list before the game;
• Talen Horton-Tucker has scored a bunch of points since his return;
• The Lakers are 8-7 but the team has won mostly against sub-par teams. 10-4 Bulls beat them by more than 15 points.

Betting Options

• Any Other Score-Win With Difference Less Than 8 for 2.4;
• Total Points Over 212.5 for 1.87;
• Player Assists: Russell Westbrook: Over 7.5 for 2.05.