The Los Angeles Lakers visit the BMO Harris Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and will air on TWC and FWi.
The Bucks were victorious over the Wizards 99-92 the last time they played. Khris Middleton was the game’s high scorer with 27 points on 9-for-17 shooting. The Lakers, meanwhile, are coming off a 120-111 loss to the Cavaliers in their last outing. Lou Williams had a team-high 28 points.
Kobe Bryant has been on a tear over the last five games for the Lakers, averaging 25.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal, and 4.4 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Lakers won the first game 113-95. D’Angelo Russell was a top performer in the victory with 19 points, four rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two three-pointers.
The Bucks enter the game with records of 23-33 Straight Up (SU) and 28-27-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have an ATS record of 7-3 in their last 10 games, but are just 2-8 SU. Something to watch out for is if Milwaukee can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 18.6 points off turnovers per game.
Across the court, Los Angeles has a SU record of 11-46 and an ATS record of 28-29. In Eastern Conference games, Los Angeles has gone 11-46 SU and 28-29 ATS. The Lakers are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 1,035 free throws made ranks fifth in the NBA. The Lakers are in for a physical game against Milwaukee. The Bucks are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.5 fouls per game.
With the Lakers’ last win against Milwaukee, Los Angeles is still behind in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, 4-6 SU. However, with a 5-4-1 record, the Lakers have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mil
Notes
On average, Los Angeles scores 97.1 points per game (ranked 27th), while Milwaukee allows 102.9 points per game (ranked 19th).
Los Angeles ranks 22nd in points per away game with 97.9 points, while Milwaukee ranks 19th in points allowed at home with 101.2.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 7-6 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Milwaukee Bucks have a poor record of 9-22.
At 4-38, the Los Angeles Lakers have an abysmal record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Milwaukee Bucks are 13-10 when they hit the century mark.
The Lakers have an offensive rating of 98.2 (ranked 29th), while the Bucks rank 24th for their defensive rating of 106.7.
The Milwaukee Bucks have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with a FG% of 46.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Los Angeles Lakers have an underachieving 3-27 record.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank higher in field goal percentage (sixth) than effective field goal percentage (18th), while the Los Angeles Lakers rank the same for both metrics (30th).
Milwaukee makes an average of 22.9 assists per game (ranked eighth), while Los Angeles makes 18.2 assists per game (ranked 30th).
The Milwaukee Bucks average 5.6 blocks per game for a rank of eighth. The Los Angeles Lakers rank lower (21st), earning 4.4 blocks each game.
Milwaukee is ranked 13th in offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 21st in defensive rebounds.
On average, Milwaukee makes 7.8 steals per game. Los Angeles is an underachieving 6-30 when it gives up at least 7 steals.
