The two biggest stars in Thursday’s Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks matchup have my attention.
The pregame narrative: Luka Doncic is back in a high-scoring groove for the Lakers, and that should continue in tonight’s road matchup. For the home team, expect Giannis Antetokounmpo to have a big game as a rebounder.
Check out my Lakers vs. Bucks prop picks for March 13.
Lakers vs. Bucks prop picks
Best Bet: Doncic over 31.5 points (-118)
Remember when Donicic’s points prop was in the low 20s? Those days are over.
Just over a month ago, when Doncic returned from a six-week injury absence to debut for the Lakers, his prop markets were deflated.
But the five-time All-NBA point guard is back up to speed, and he’s got the best matchup possible on Thursday night.
Due in large part to Damian Lillard’s notoriously lacklustre defence, Milwaukee allows the most points per game to opposing PGs, per Betting Pros.
This will be Doncic’s first time facing the Bucks as a Laker, but he torched them plenty of times while playing for Dallas.
In five matchups against the Bucks since April 2022, Doncic cleared this point total four times while averaging 33.4 points.
Remember, LeBron James (groin) is out for the Lakers. That should put more of the scoring burden on Doncic’s shoulders.
Doncic had 26 field goal attempts on Monday in his first Laker game without LeBron, marking his highest shot total since November.
Key stat: Doncic has cashed this bet in two of his past three games and is averaging 29.7 PPG in his past six.
Quick pick
Giannis over 12.5 rebounds (-110): You can’t justifiably back many players at a rebounding milestone like this, but Giannis is one of the exceptions.
Coming off a 19-rebound performance, Giannis has cashed this bet in four of his past nine games.
He’s averaging 12.1 rebounds this season, so it’s not like this milestone is a typical day at the office, but it’s worth a play when the right matchup comes around.
- The Lakers are missing three of their top five rebounders tonight, including LeBron and Jaxson Hayes (and it’s been a little while since they employed Anthony Davis, obviously).
- Giannis had 35 rebounds in two matchups against the Lakers last season, cashing this bet both times.
Lakers vs. Bucks prop picks made at 12:35 p.m. ET 03/13/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.