This inter-conference duel in Los Angeles will conclude a four-game slate in the NBA scheduled for Thursday, February 9, and here you can get the best Bucks vs. Lakers betting pick and odds.

Milwaukee is searching for the ninth consecutive victory when they visit Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena. The Bucks are -3.5 favorites on BetDSI Sportsbook, while the total is set at 239 points. These inter-conference rivals faced once this year; the Lakers won 133-129 in Milwaukee.

Bucks are getting closer to the Celtics

The Milwaukee Bucks (37-17, 29-23-2 ATS) are playing excellent basketball at the moment; they are on an eight-game winning streak and are hoping to repeat their longest winning run of the season (nine in a row). The Bucks opened their three-game road trip in the west with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers and now are only a win away from the Boston Celtics and the top of the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee was very good from the field (54.0%) and made 16 three-pointers opposite Portland’s nine, while the Bucks destroyed the Blazers in rebounds (55-28).

Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 27 points and nine rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo was right behind with a double-double of 24 points and game-high 13 boards, along with game-high eight assists and six turnovers, Jrue Holiday had 20 points, eight dishes, and four rebounds, while Khris Middleton ended the game with 13 points and five dimes.

PF/C Serge Ibaka (personal) and PF/C Bobby Portis (knee) are out indefinitely and will not play in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Lakers fell short of the Thunder despite LeBron’s historic night

The Los Angeles Lakers (25-30, 25-29-1 ATS) returned home from a five-game road trip, on which they suffered three losses, but lost the second game in a row after falling short of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even though LeBron James wrote history as he eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, his team lost 133-130. The Lakers were excellent from the floor (57.6%) but committed even 20 turnovers opposite Oklahoma City’s 12, which made a difference in this defeat.

LeBron James led the Lakers with a game-high 38 points, seven rebounds, and team-high three steals. Russell Westbrook added 27 points, game-high eight assists, four boards, and two thefts, Rui Hachimura contributed 14 points and six rebounds, while Anthony Davis had 13 points, eight boards, and two steals.

Trends:

Milwaukee:

  • 2-5-1 ATS in the last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game
  • 1-3-1 ATS in the last five games playing on two days of rest
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five Thursday games

Los Angeles:

  • 5-2 ATS in the last seven games following a straight-up loss
  • 3-1-1 ATS in the last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Pick

The Lakers are a high-scoring team, but their biggest problem is a weak defense. Los Angeles is scoring 117.3 points per game, which is the 7th-best offense in the NBA; however, they are 27th on defense as they surrender 118.6 ppg. Milwaukee has a top 10 D that allows 111.8 ppg and is in better form than the Lakers right now, but I am still backing the hosts to cover, although I’d be surprised if they manage to get a straight-up win. Anthony Davis scored only 13 points against OKC, and I am backing him to respond with a 20+ display here. James, Westbrook, and Schroder should also play a key role on offense.

Pick: Take the Lakers at +7.5 (-133)

The Total

The Lakers cannot defend for their lives recently; they allowed 121+ points in six of the previous eight games, including 264 points in the last two defeats to the Pelicans and Thunder. Milwaukee, on the other end, improved offensively in the past couple of weeks. The Bucks scored 123+ points in eight of their last 11 games. Over is 7-3 in the Lakers’ last ten games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game, while Over is 13-4 in Los Angeles’ last 17 games following an ATS loss.

Pick: Go Over 236.5 points (-133)