The NBA returns with a bang tonight as 22 teams hit the NBA hardwood on a Friday. I'm focusing on the LA Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks clash, tipping-off at 7.30 pm ET on ESPN. I've prepared a Same-Game Parlay which you can find below.
As always you can find our picks on the side and total for all games tonight on our NBA Predictions page.
Let's dive in!
Under 228.5 Total Points (-110)
The 228.5 projected point total sounds a bit high for me here, considering these two teams rank 1st and 7th in defensive rating through 20 games. Head-to-head games have also not been kind to bettors backing the over with the last 7 of 10 meetings cashing on the under. The two teams are combining to average 221.8 points per game during that stretch, so even if they reach their averages we are still staying under the total. Milwaukee gets Khris Middleton back, implementing at 20 point per game scorer into the offense after 20 games played can sometimes disrupt your chemistry a bit. If we disregard their games at San Antonio, the Lakers haven't really had many great offensive performances on the road this season. They rank only 17th best in points per game scoring 110 a night away from home, in their last 4 visits to Fiserv Forum they totaled just 102, 113, 104 and 101 points. With the last 5 meetings in this building all going under the total, I think backing that is the best w ay to approach tonight's game.