The Lakers and Nuggets are set to tip off game two of this first-round Western Conference series at 10:00 PM ET at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets are up 1-0 in the series and are favored by 7.5 points. The over/under line is at 223.5 points, and the money line odds are -304 for the Nuggets and +243 for the Lakers. You can catch this one on TNT.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS DENVER NUGGETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Lakers +7.5

This game will be played at Ball Arena at 10:00 ET on Monday, April 22nd.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 119-113 in favor of the Lakers.
  • Our projections have LeBron James finishing with LeBron James points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Lakers finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.5% and knocking down 14 threes.

Despite the Lakers getting out to a 33-25 lead in the first quarter, the Nuggets outscored them 32-27 in the second and 32-18 in the third to take control of the game. Denver’s 114-103 win over the Lakers also resulted in a cover against the spread, as they came into the game as 6.5-point favorites. The 217 combined points fell 10 points short of the over/under line of 227 points.

Anthony Davis was the leading scorer for the Lakers with 32 points, while LeBron James added 27. The Lakers shot 49.4% from the field but made just eight threes. Nikola Jokic matched Davis with 32 points and also had 12 rebounds. Jamal Murray added 22 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets.

Will Los Angeles Find a Way to Win on the Road?

Today, the Lakers are the underdog against the Nuggets. This season, they have been the underdog in 39 of their 82 games. The Lakers have an ATS record of 19-20 as the underdog, going 16-23 straight-up.

As the underdog, the Lakers have gone 48-36 on the over/under this season. Their games have averaged a scoring differential of -4.5 points per game.

In their most recent game against the Nuggets, the Lakers lost by a score of 114-103. They were 6.5-point underdogs in that game. The O/U line was 227 points, and the teams combined for 217 points.

This season, the Lakers have an O/U record of 48-36, and the under has hit in their last two games. Today’s O/U line is set at 223.5, which is lower than their season average of 232.2. On average, the Lakers’ games have finished with 235 points.

Currently, the Lakers are in 7th place in the Western Conference with a record of 47-35. Against the Western Conference, they are 27-25 and 20-10 in non-conference games.

The Lakers went 39-45 ATS this season, including a road ATS record of 19-23. Currently, they are 20-22 ATS on the road. In their last two road games, they are 0-2 ATS.

This season, the Lakers are among the league leaders in field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, and scoring. Their scoring average for the year is 118 points per game. Despite being in the top 10 in three-point shooting percentage, 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 while hitting 55.1% of his shots from the field. In this stretch, he also averaged 10 assists and 8.4 rebounds. Anthony Davis has put up 29.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in his last four games. Austin Reaves has hit 46.7% of his threes in his last five games and averaged 16.8 points in that stretch.

Coming into the game, the Lakers will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 117.3 points per game (23rd). For the season, Los Angeles is ranked 30th in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 17.8 free-throws per game vs. the Lakers and have an overall field goal percentage of 47.5%.

Will Denver Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

In their last game against the Lakers, the Nuggets won by a score of 114-103. They also covered the spread as 6.5-point favorites.

Denver has won their last two games and finished the regular season with a record of 57-25. In the Western Conference, they are in 2nd place and are also 2nd in the Northwest Division.

At home this season, the Nuggets have gone 34-8 and have won five straight games at home. As the favorite, they are 54-19 straight-up and 34-37 vs. the spread. Today, they are favored by 7.5 points.

In the Western Conference, the Nuggets have gone 33-19 compared to 24-6 in non-conference games. Their ATS record at home is 22-19 and 39-42 overall.

The average over/under line in Denver’s games this season is 225.7, and their games have averaged 224.4 points. Today’s O/U line is set at 223.5, and the Nuggets have a record of 34-47-2 on the over/under.

Denver comes into the game as the NBA’s 10th ranked home scoring team, at 118.4 points per game. Overall, they are 13th in the league at 114.9 points per contest. The Nuggets are near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts and makes but are among the league leaders in field goal percentage, at 49%.

Over his last five games, Nikola Jokic is averaging 27.6 points per game on 67.8% shooting. In these games, he has hit 66.7% of his threes and averaged 1.2 made threes per game. Jokic also averaged 11.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists in that stretch. Jamal Murray is averaging 25.2 points per game in his last five games on a field goal percentage of 50.5%.

In the current season, the Nuggets defense has excelled, sitting 6th in the NBA by allowing 109.5 points per game. For the season, Denver is ranked 22nd in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 22.1 free-throws per game vs. the Nuggets and have an overall field goal percentage of 46.4%.