All the talk around the league has been about Golden State Warriors and their 24-game win streak to start off the season. Then, all of a sudden, the Milwaukee Bucks burst the defending champions’ bubble with a dominant 108-95 home victory Saturday night. The Bucks now look to carry that momentum on the road, when they take on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers continue to struggle, having dropped their sixth-straight game after a 126-97 drubbing on the road at Houston. However, a return to Staples should have them fired up for this matchup.
Catch some more Tuesday night NBA action with our complete preview for the Cavaliers vs. Celtics.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
When: Tuesday, December 15, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: NBA TV
Betting on the Milwaukee Bucks (10-15)
The Milwaukee Bucks are big spoilers. They snapped the NBA’s second-longest win streak (28 games dating back to last regular season) after beating the Golden State Warriors 108-95 on Saturday night. Milwaukee also acted as spoilers for the longest win streak in NBA history, ending the ’71-’72 Lakers’ 33 game-win streak.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Bucks bring some new-found momentum to Staples Center, where they take on the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. Greg Monroe could be up for another big game after he exploded against the Warriors on Saturday. He finished with a game-high 28 points (tied with Stephen Curry), grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists. The versatile Giannis Antetokounmpo was stellar as well, finishing with his first-career triple-double (11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists).
Jabari Parker (19 points), O.J. Mayo (18 points) and Michael Carter-Williams (17 points) also lent some firepower in their upset win over the Warriors. Mayo, in particular, was on fire from three-point range after nailing four of eight shots from downtown. With that in mind, it should be noted that the Lakers are in the bottom half of the league in opponent three-point field goal percentage (.354).
The Bucks have won four of their last five against the Lakers, but have gone just 2-2-1 ATS.
Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers (3-21)
The Los Angeles Lakers ended their eight-game road trip with a 126-97 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Kobe Bryant was at the top of his game, scoring a team-high 25 points on 9 of 16 shooting, including 4 of 9 from downtown. He also added seven rebounds and six assists.
Having another solid outing from the Lakers star may be difficult. He hasn’t been consistent recently, but could go off for big games. A return to the West Coast could help him keep his rhythm. But Bryant hasn’t played much better at home, as he is just shooting 29 percent from the field compared to 34 percent on the road.
Unlike Bryant, shooting guard Louis Williams has been pretty consistent of late, averaging 17.8 points per game on 50 percent shooting over the last five games. Williams will have some support from first round draft pick D’Angelo Russell as well, who has seemingly found his stride in the pros. Russell averaged 19.7 points per game in his last three outings.
Expect to see more of Russell, because starting point guard Jordan Clarkson has missed the past two games with an ankle sprain. Clarkson has been solid when healthy, averaging 17.4 points per home game this season. If Clarkson can suit up, then he could give the Lakers an even big boost playing at home.
The Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games dating back to last season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bucks ride their momentum for a blowout victory against the Lakers. Create a betting account now and dive right into the explosive NBA regular season action.
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