Clippers Lakers Line

• The Clippers aren’t the best defensive team in the league but have shown the capacity to hold the Lakers in check, evidenced by their win earlier in the year where the held the Lakers to 107 points.
• Special line: Bet $1, Win $100 in free bets if either the Lakers or Clippers hit a 3-pointer. Available in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Bet now at BetMGM or view terms and conditions. First half moneyline: Lakers (-189), Clippers (+155) Race to 25 points: Lakers (-182), Clippers (+130) Also see: LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers odds, picks and best.
• Clippers at Lakers: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks Prediction. Lakers 106, Clippers 101. Money line (ML) The LAKERS (-160) are the defending champions and have the most talented roster in the NBA when all are healthy.
• The Los Angeles Clippers (44-20) will take on the Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) Thursday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Arena in Orlando, Fla., for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off (on TNT). We analyze the Clippers-Lakers NBA betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.

1. Clippers Lakers Betting Line
2. Lakers Clippers Lineup
3. Clippers Lakers Spread
4. Lakers Clippers Line Movement
5. Clippers Lakers Lineup

The Los Angeles Lakers have a starting lineup that rotates around their star players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles has had limited salary room to build around them, but have guards on friendly deals.

Clippers Lakers Betting Line

• Point Spread: Commonly called the line or spread, it is the number chosen by Las Vegas and overseas oddsmakers that they feel will get an equal number of people to wager on the underdog as on the favorite. The negative value (-10.5) means the team is favored by 10.5 points. The positive value (+10.5) indicates an underdog of 10.5 points. In this instance, the favored team must win by at least 11 points to cover the spread. The underdog team can lose by 10 points and still cover the spread.

• Total: Known as the over/under, common wisdom says it is how many points oddsmakers feel will be scored in an NBA game by both teams combined. If you wagered under 197.5, you want the combined score of both teams to less than 197 (example 100-96).

Lakers Clippers Lineup

• Money Line: Commonly used as a baseball and hockey wagering tool, basketball moneylines are popular for picking underdogs. There is no point spread linked to the moneyline. So the team you bet on only has to win the game, not win by a certain number of points. The negative value indicates the favorite, just like a point spread (-170) and the positive value means an underdog (+150). If you picture the number 100 sitting in the middle of these two values, moneylines are easier to comprehend.

• Futures: Betting on a future event (such as which team will win the NBA title) is called future betting. Oddsmakers will update future odds during the year, shortening the odds for good teams on hot streaks and lengthening odds for slumping teams with injury problems. Example: the NBA top team could be +170 to win the championship. This translates to a $100 wager paying out a $170 profit if that team wins. A lousy team might be +2000, making a $100 wager pay out a whopping $2,000 as a longshot.

Clippers Lakers Spread

Orlando, FL - AUGUST 25: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Round One Game Five of the NBA Playoffs on August 25, 2020 at The AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Two of the best teams in the league meet up to get the Thursday NBA schedule underway at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Milwaukee Bucks host the Los Angeles Lakers, with high-end star power on display for both teams. The Bucks are 9-5 this season, including a 6-1 mark at home, and they are looking to bounce back from a road loss to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week. The Lakers are also aiming to avenge a recent loss, and Los Angeles is unbeaten at 7-0 on the road this season. LeBron James (ankle) is officially listed as questionable to play, with Anthony Davis (ankle) listed as probable for Thursday's game.

The latest Lakers vs. Bucks odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Milwaukee as a two-point favorite, up a point from the opener. The over-under for total points expected is set at 228.5. Before making any Bucks vs. Lakers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is up nearly $8,100 over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it is also on a stunning 68-39 roll on top-rated picks against the spread, returning almost $2,500 on those selections alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Bucks. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Bucks vs. Lakers:

• Lakers vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -2
• Lakers vs. Bucks over-under: 228.5 points
• Lakers vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -130, Lakers +110
• LAL: The Lakers are 5-2 against the spread in 2020-21 road games
• MIL: The Bucks are 4-3 against the spread in 2020-21 home games

Why the Lakers can cover

Led by top-tier star power, the Lakers are excellent on both ends. Los Angeles leads the NBA in defense, giving up only 104.6 points per 100 possessions, and the Lakers are No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rebound rate (76.7 percent), free throw rate allowed and blocked shots per game (6.5). Frank Vogel's team also lands in the top five in shooting efficiency allowed, and the Lakers contest shots at an elite level.

On the offensive side, the Lakers are scoring almost 1.15 points per possession, a top-five figure in the NBA. Los Angeles also ranks in the top six in both effective field goal percentage (55.8 percent) and true shooting percentage (58.8), with the ability to create efficient looks on a regular basis. The Lakers can also use physicality to create second-chance opportunities, as Los Angeles ranks near the top of the league in grabbing 28.4 percent of their own missed shots on the offensive glass.

Why the Bucks can cover

Milwaukee is in strong form right now, led by a trio of star-quality players. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the reigning NBA MVP, and he is averaging 27.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season. Antetokounmpo also anchors the defense alongside Jrue Holiday, with the newly-acquired guard averaging 15.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. From there, Khris Middleton is one of the more efficient perimeter scorers in the NBA, averaging 22.1 points per game and shooting 53 percent from the floor and 44 percent from 3-point distance.

Those three players key a team with strongly above-average metrics on both sides of the floor, including the No. 1 offense in the NBA on a per-possession basis. Milwaukee will have its hands full with the reigning champions, but the Bucks have strengths to rely on both offensively and defensively in this game.

How to make Lakers vs. Bucks picks

Lakers Clippers Line Movement

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with the teams projected to combine for 219 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine.

Clippers Lakers Lineup

So who wins Bucks vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Bucks vs. Lakers spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.