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The Denver Nuggets travel to Southern California to face off with the winless Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com arena. It is time to check our glitzy NBA odds series and deliver a Nuggets-Lakers prediction and pick.
The Nuggets are coming off a 117-101 victory over the Utah Jazz. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nuggets with 32 points on 7 for 15 shooting and 4 for 5 from the triples. Moreover, he pulled down 13 rebounds. Jamal Murray added 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting while nailing 2 of 4 from the triples. Additionally, Nikola Jokic chipped in with 12 points on 3 of 10 shooting while missing all four shots from beyond the arc. Denver got a boost off the bench when Bones Hyland delivered 26 points, including 7 of 12 shots from the 3-point line. Deandre Jordan added 12 points with 13 rebounds, and Jeff Green had 10 points.
The Nuggets dominated the boards, winning 58-38. However, they struggled at the free-throw line, hitting only 64.7 percent of their opportunities from the charity stripe.
The Lakers fell to 0-5 with a 111-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lebron James led the way with 28 points. However, he was terrible from the floor, converting only 10 of his 24 shots and only 1 of 6 from the 3-point line. James added seven rebounds and five assists. Troy Brown Jr. added 12 points with eight rebounds. Subsequently, Russell Westbrook came off the bench for the first time in his career and had 18 points while shooting an ugly 6 of 17 from the floor. He had eight rebounds and three assists.
The Lakers continued to struggle from the floor, shooting only 41.6 percent. Moreover, their 3-point shooting was abysmal, with only 31 percent sinking from beyond the arc. The Lakers continued to turn the ball over, losing the ball 22 times. Subsequently, James had three, and Westbrook had five.
Here are the Nuggets-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nuggets-Lakers Odds
Denver Nuggets: -4 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers: +4 (-110)
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The Nuggets have their full team back and look to contend for the NBA title this year. They face a wounded and disappointing Lakers team they thoroughly dominated last season, even without Murray.
Jokic continues to mash, averaging 20.7 points per game on 60.6 percent shooting. Additionally, he has added 10.7 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Porter contributes 18.8 points per game on a 60.6 percent shooting rate. Likewise, Aaron Gordon has 13 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Conversely, Murray has been slower to start the season, averaging only 12.4 points per game on a measly 41 percent shooting. It has not hurt the Nuggets yet. Consequently, Denver expects Murray to pick it up as the season progresses.
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There are three things the Nuggets must work on to help defeat the Lakers and cover the spread. First, they must score some points.; Denver ranks only 15th in scoring and must find a way to get some shots in. Next, they cannot turn the ball over. The Nuggets currently rank 22nd in turnovers and have been careless with the rock. Also, they are not blocking enough shots. The Nuggets rank 27th in blocked shots. Ultimately, they must block shots while avoiding foul trouble.
The Nuggets will cover the spread if they can jump out to an early lead. Additionally, they can cover if they force James and Westbrook into bad shots. They might have to deal with Anthony Davis, who is questionable for today's game after missing Friday's contest.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers are a hot mess. Consequently, years of James forcing young players out of town and replacing them with “his” players have come back to haunt the Lakers. The Lakers could have fielded a team that included Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Alex Caruso, and Julius Randle. Instead, they rely on relics like Westbrook and unknowns like Lonnie Walker IV.
James is leading the Lakers in scoring by default with 25.8 points per game. However, he is also shooting a paltry 44.5 percent from the field. Davis is averaging 24 points per game on 52.7 percent shooting. Unfortunately, he has suffered yet another injury. Davis is questionable today.
The Lakers must fix their shooting issues. Ultimately, they miss shots like guys playing street ball, ranking last in field goals, and 3-point shooting. Los Angeles must also force turnovers.
The Lakers only have a chance of covering the spread if they play the best defensive game of their season. Additionally, James must stop making stupid decisions and attempt to get the rest of the offense involved. If he can do that, it will allow him an opportunity to get better shots than 25-foot fadeaways that clank off the basket and onto the other team.
Final Nuggets-Lakers Prediction & Pick
The Lakers are way overdue for a win. However, Davis is injured again, and James continues to make poor decisions. The Nuggets are healthy and ready to roll. Expect Denver to cover the spread and drop the Lakers to 0-6.
Final Nuggets-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Denver Nuggets: -4 (-110)
