Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
The Lakers and Nuggets are set to square off in game two of their first-round series at 10:00 PM ET at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets currently lead the series 1-0 and are the 7.5 point favorites at home. The over/under line is currently sitting at 223.5 points, and the Nuggets are -304 on the money line compared to the Lakers at +243. TNT is carrying Monday night’s game on TV.
Check out BetCoco for Denver Nuggets – Los Angeles Lakers odds
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last three times that the Nuggets have faced off vs. the Lakers as the favorite, they have gone 3-0. Against the spread, the Nuggets have fared well when favored vs. the Lakers, going 3-0.
- Across the Lakers last five road games, the team averaged 117 points per game while allowing 113. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 4-1 straight-up.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, Denver has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 113 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
- The last five games that Los Angeles was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Nuggets have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Denver posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction
After the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 33-25 in the first quarter of the most recent game in this series, the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 32-27 in the 2nd quarter and 32-18 in the 3rd quarter to take control of the game. The Nuggets ended up winning by a score of 114-103, covering the spread as 6.5-point favorites. The game fell 10 points short of the over/under line of 227 points.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James had 32 and 27 points, respectively, for the Lakers, but the team as a whole made just eight threes and shot 27.6% from downtown. Nikola Jokic also had 32 points for the Nuggets to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists. Jokic and Jamal Murray (22 points) led the Nuggets to 15 made threes.
In games against Western Conference opponents, the Lakers are 27-25 compared to 20-10 against the East. This puts them in 7th place in the West, and they are 3rd in the Pacific Division.
On the road, the Lakers are 20-22 this season. Their average scoring differential on the road is -3.4 points per game. Against the spread, they are 19-23 on the road.
As underdogs, the Lakers have a record of 16-23 this season. They have lost their last two games as the underdog vs. the spread, and they are 19-20 ATS as the underdog.
The Lakers’ O/U record for the season is 48-36, and their last two games have gone under the posted total. On average, their games have scored 235 points per game.
In their most recent game, the Lakers lost to the Nuggets by a score of 114-103. The O/U line for that game was 227, and the Lakers were 6.5-point underdogs going into the game.
Los Angeles comes into the game as the NBA’s 3rd-ranked field goal percentage team and 5th in true shooting percentage. Their efficient shooting has helped them to an average of 118 points per game, which is the 6th best mark in the league. Despite being a good three-point shooting team, they are near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts.
LeBron James is averaging 29.6 points per game over his last five games on 55.1% shooting. In that stretch, he also averaged 10 assists and 8.4 rebounds. Anthony Davis has put up 29.5 points per game in his last four games to go along with 13.5 rebounds. Over his last five games, Austin Reaves has averaged 16.8 points per game while hitting 46.7% of his threes.
As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Lakers is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 117.3 points per game (23rd). When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Lakers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 54.1% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 37.6% from downtown.
The Nuggets are looking to extend their winning streak to three games today against the Lakers. In their last game, the Nuggets won 114-103 as 6.5-point favorites. The game finished with a combined score of 217, which was below the O/U line of 227.
Denver is currently 2nd in the Western Conference with a record of 57-25. In the West, they have gone 33-19 compared to 24-6 against non-conference opponents.
On average, the Nuggets’ games have scored 224.4 points per game this season, which is higher than today’s O/U line of 223.5. This year, their games have averaged an over/under line of 225.7.
In their most recent ATS win, the Nuggets covered as 6.5-point favorites. They are 39-42 ATS this season, including an ATS record of 22-19 at home. As the favorite, their ATS record is 34-37.
Overall, the Nuggets have gone 54-19 as the favorite this season, and they are favored by 7.5 points today. As the favorite, they have won their last two games and have a scoring differential of +6.6 points per game. Their straight-up record as the favorite is 54-19.
Denver comes into the game as the 10th ranked home scoring team, at 118.4 points per contest. Overall, they are 13th in the league, averaging 114.9 points per game. The Nuggets are near the bottom of the league in pace, averaging just 96.2 possessions per game.
Nikola Jokic has averaged 27.6 points per game in his last five games while shooting 67.8% from the field. In these games, he hit 66.7% of his threes. Jamal Murray has hit 4 threes per game in his last five games and 25.2 points per contest.
The Nuggets’ defense is presently ranked 6th in the league, allowing an average of 109.5 points per contest. In the terms of takeaways, Nuggets are causing 11.8 turnovers per game, ranking 4th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 11th in rejections, averaging 5.6 blocked shots each game.
Even though they are 7.5 point underdogs, we see the Lakers winning this game by a score of 119-113.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Tips
- We like the Lakers on the moneyline (+243)
- The Lakers are also our pick on the spread at +7.5
- Projecting a combined 232 points, we like the over
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
- Vlatko Cancar – Knee – Out
Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report
- Anthony Davis – Back – Probable
- LeBron James – Ankle – Probable
- Christian Wood – Knee – Out
- Jarred Vanderbilt – Foot – Out
- Cam Reddish – Ankle – Out
- Jalen Hood-Schifino – Back – Out
