The Los Angeles Lakers (21-6 SU, 13-14 ATS) head to Denver to take on the Nuggets (14-11 SU, 11-14 ATS) for the second time this season. The Lakers won the first matchup 114-93 at home as Lebron James put up a triple-double with a 27-10-10 line. The Lakers are favored in this one.
- Date/Time: February 14, 10:00 p.m. ET
- Arena: Ball Arena
- TV Coverage: NBATV
- Sportsbook Odds: Lakers -3 | O/U 217 (Line History)
- Lakers vs Nuggets (Matchup Report)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The game opened with the Lakers as favorites at -3 and the line has moved down to -2 at most sportsbooks. The total opened at 217 and has moved down slightly to either 215.5 or 216 depending on the book.
Los Angeles News & Notes
In his 18th season, Lebron James is showing no signs of slowing down, leading his team in scoring and to the top of the standings once again. King James is 13th in the league averaging 25.6 points per game to go along with 7.9 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game.
And it is not just Lebron who has been shooting the lights out on the Lakers. The team has been hitting shots all season – they are currently third in the league in field goal percentage and 14th in three-point percentage.
The Lakers are also one of the top rebounding teams in the league. They rank seventh in total rebounds per game and are fifth in the league in defensive boards. A big part of the rebounding success is of course Anthony Davis, whose 8.6 boards per game rank him 18th in the association. The team is simply fundamentally sound and their ability to make shots and own the glass makes them a tough out.
Denver News & Notes
The Denver Nuggets can pretty much match the Lakers offensively – they rank seventh in the league in field goal percentage and 10th in three-point percentage – and a lot of that is thanks to Nikola Jokic’s stellar start to the season. The Joker is averaging a double-double with 26.7 points per game (ninth in the league) and 11.3 rebounds per game (seventh). He is one of only 13 players who is averaging a double-double this season.
But the Nuggets’ work on the glass is nowhere near as good as the Lakers which is the main reason for the disparity between the teams and a big advantage for Los Angeles in this game. Despite Jokic’s lofty numbers, the Nuggets rank just 15th in total rebounds per game and 22nd in rebounding on the defensive end.
How the Nuggets matchup against the Lakers on the glass should be a big part of the decision-making process for bettors.
Betting Pick: Lakers -2
The Mavericks are the rightful underdogs in this game and don’t match up particularly well as the presence of Davis limits Jokic’s upside and how much impact he can have. We like the Lakers to get the win and cover the two points.
- LA Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games.
- The OVER is 4-1 in LA Lakers' last 5 games.
- The OVER is 8-3 in Denver's last 11 games.
