It’s been a disappointing start to the season for both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Milwaukee is sitting at 6-8 after a 20-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Lakers have continued to struggle in the second half, and they are sitting at 8-6. They have now blown two big leads to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder, and they were outscored 40-12 in the third quarter by Minnesota on Friday night.
This NBA matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers will take place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET. We'll have NBA odds available at BookMaker.eu for this and every game on Wednesday night’s NBA slate.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The Los Angeles Lakers have a winning record, but they have been one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA this season. The Lakers are 5-9 ATS, but they have covered the number in three of their last four games. Meanwhile, the under has been very profitable in Bucks’ games. Ten of Milwaukee’s 14 games have gone under the total.
Milwaukee Bucks
Injuries have hurt the Milwaukee Bucks early in the season. Guard Donte DiVincenzo has yet to take the court, and George Hill missed Sunday’s game against Atlanta with a back injury. Brook Lopez hasn’t played in a game since October 19, but there is good news as Khris Middleton will finally return from the COVID list.
Middleton hasn’t played a game in over two weeks. Milwaukee’s second-best player was instrumental to the team’s NBA title last year, and he was filling the stat sheet in his six games prior to being sidelined. Middleton is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG, but he had struggled to knock down shots. He is only hitting 43.1% of his shots and 25.7% of his threes on the season.
Giannis Antetokuonmpo has not been at his best either. He is averaging 26.5 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 6.0 APG this season, but he is making less than 28% of his threes and under 68% of his free throws. Antetokuonmpo is getting to the line often and is one of the league leaders in PER, yet he is not as dominant as we have seen in recent years.
One of the bright spots during this rough start has been the play of Grayson Allen. The Duke product is the third leading scorer on the Bucks with 16.0 PPG, and he is knocking down 43.8% of his threes.
Los Angeles Lakers
We still don’t have a clear timetable on when LeBron James will return to the court. James has not played in more than two weeks due to an abdominal injury, and he hasn’t taken part in full practices. The Lakers haven’t been bad without him, but they haven’t been great without his stewardship either.
Anthony Davis can’t hit threes, but he is playing well otherwise. The big man is averaging 24.5 PPG and 11.3 RPG, and he is knocking down over 50% of his field goals and 75% of his free throws. Davis has helped the Lakers stay competitive with James out as Russell Westbrook hasn’t been playing great.
It’s the same old story for Westbrook. He is averaging close to a triple double a game with 19.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 8.4 APG. However, he is also turning the ball over more than five times a game, and he is making just 42.7% of his field goals. His three-point shooting is up to 32.2%, but that will likely drop once more.
Lakers at Bucks Picks
This will be a get right game for Milwaukee. The Bucks have two days off before this game, and they get to play at home with Middleton returning to the lineup. The Lakers have to play late Monday night before heading to Wisconsin, and that will be a bit too much.
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