Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 12-2-2022

On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers will visit the Milwaukee Bucks for a game loaded with box office appeal. The Lakers were victorious on Wednesday, defeating the Trail Blazers 128-109 behind LeBron James' 31 point-performance. The Bucks, fresh off a Wednesday win over the Knicks, are expected to get Khris Middleton back from injury on Friday. The tip-off from Fiserv Forum is at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.

LA is averaging 113.1 points per game this season on 46.6 percent shooting. It has the third-lowest offensive rating, adjusted for strength of schedule, per Dunks and Threes. Meanwhile, LA's adjusted defensive rating is ninth-best in the NBA, surrendering 114.3 points on 45.8 percent shooting the floor, including 34.0 percent from 3-point range. Its opponents' shooting percentages are eighth-lowest from the field and sixth-lowest from behind the arc.

Los Angeles, 8-12 straight-up and 8-12 against the spread, defeated Portland with a fresh starting lineup of Dennis Schröder, Austin Reaves, Patrick Beverley, James, and Anthony Davis. The new-look lineup shot 33-for-59 (55.9%) from the field, scoring 91 points with a combined plus/minus of +30. The only starter who didn't have a positive plus/minus was Beverly, who was a -1. The Blazers couldn't figure out the Lakers' new group, which leaned on a reinvigorated James (12-for-18 and 6-of-8 from three), who proved his ankle is just fine.

It was a necessary change for LA, with Russell Westbrook learning his new role as the team's firestarter off the pine. Westbrook averaged 10.3 points on 28.9 percent shooting as a starter and was 1-of-12 from three-point range. Coming off the bench, he's scoring 15.8 points per game, shooting 41.8 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three. At this point in his career, the sixth-man role best suits him and will give LA its best chance to win.

Having played the fewest games in the league so far, December is scheduled to be a rough month of games for Los Angeles, featuring 16 games in 28 days. With roughly a quarter of the season completed, this is the time for the Lakers to make up ground in the playoff race.

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