The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks close out Friday's NBA slate with a banger.
The pregame narrative: Anytime Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo go toe-to-toe is must-see TV. Los Angeles has won four of its last six, and is a 3-point home favourite with LeBron James questionable. Milwaukee sports a clean bill of health heading into this contest.
Check out my Bucks vs. Lakers SGP predictions for Jan. 9, featuring Doncic and AJ Green.
BET FINDER: Search & Bet!
-> Join NorthStar Bets to start betting on the NBA
Bucks vs. Lakers SGP
Parlay: Lakers +4.5 | Doncic over 8.5 assists | Green 3+ threes (+300)
Lakers +4.5 (-335): I'm teasing Los Angeles 7.5 points into underdog status. LeBron's dubious availability has a little to do with that, but it's always nice to get some cushion in an SGP.
The Lakers got walloped by the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday, but have generally performed well against bottom-feeding teams.
L.A. has won 13 of its last 14 games against non-play-in teams, including a 119-95 beatdown of the Bucks in Milwaukee back in November.
-> Bet on NBA futures at NorthStar Bets
Austin Reaves (who remains out) was playing in that game, but LeBron wasn't. It was also on the road, where the Lakers tend to struggle. At home, they sport a solid 10-6 record.
Giannis is a game-changer and has been on a heater since returning from injury. But his supporting cast is awful, and I can't see the Bucks running away with this one.
NBA SGP legs
Doncic over 8.5 assists (-139): Doncic can do it all, ranking fourth in assists (8.8/game) on top of leading the league in scoring (33.7 points/game).
With eyes-in-the-back-of-his-head vision, the Slovenian is liable to clear this mark on a nightly basis.
Reaves' absence means opposing defences can really key in on stopping Doncic, which should mean more wide-open shots for his teammates.
Doncic has gone 3-3 against this line since Reaves went down, landing on exactly eight assists twice and seven assists once. That's a solid floor to work with.
-> Don't miss out — bet on Doncic against the Bucks now!
He should over-index tonight against a Bucks team allowing the seventh-most assists per game to opposing point guards, per Fantasy Pros.
Green 3+ threes (-129): Green would be a money bench piece for any title contender, with above-average defence and lights-out 3-point shooting.
Milwaukee's poor roster construction has him starting — and out of position as a small forward — but that's fine by me.
The scrappy swingman is averaging 2.9 threes per game on 42.9% shooting. Playing just under 30 minutes a night, he should get enough run to capitalize on a plus matchup.
Los Angeles allows the 13th-most 3s per game at the eighth-highest rate.
Green has cleared this line in three of his last four games and drained five triples against L.A. earlier this year.
Bucks vs. Lakers SGP predictions made at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2026.
