by Rod Pearson
Sunday, Apr 21, 2024
Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Monday, April 22, 2024
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Where to Watch: TNT, MAX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Lakers +7, Nuggets -7; Over/Under: 223.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Lakers +7, Nuggets -7; Over/Under: 223.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Lakers +7.5, Nuggets -7.5; Over/Under: 223.5 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Lakers: 47-35 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
Denver Nuggets: 57-25 (2nd place, Northwest Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Lakers: 7-3 last 10
Denver Nuggets: 7-3 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Preview and Analysis
The Lakers are entering this game with a 47-35 record overall to finish the regular season and they were 19-21 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Denver Nuggets in their last game. Anthony Davis led the team in points in that game with 32 while LeBron James was next on the team with 27 points. LeBron James led the team in assists in that game with 8 while Anthony Davis led the team in rebounds with 14. They were 49.4% from the field, 27.6% from 3-point range, and 89.5% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 118 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 117.4 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 40-45 this season and their O/U record is 47-37-1.
The Nuggets are entering this game with a 57-25 record overall to finish the regular season and they were 33-8 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers in their last game. Nikola Jokić led the team in points in that game with 32 while Jamal Murray was next on the team with 22 points. Jamal Murray led the team in assists in that game with 10 while Nikola Jokić led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 46.1% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range, and 83.3% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 114.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 109.6 PPG against them. The Nuggets have an ATS record of 39-42-2 this season and their O/U record is 35-48.
Lakers vs Nuggets Prediction
The current betting odds have the Nuggets listed as a 7 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 2 of a 7 game series between the 2nd seeded Nuggets and the 7th seeded Lakers for Round 1 of the NBA Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets have a 1-0 series lead after winning game 1 of this series on their home court. The Nuggets have looked great in their games all season with their 57-25 record overall which was one of the best records in the entire NBA. They ended the regular season with the number 2 seed but they were right in the race for the number 1 seed until the very last game. They came out and beat the Lakers soundly once again in game 1 and this has been a common theme for the Nuggets all season. They have beaten the Lakers in every encounter this year and even swept them in the NBA Finals last season. They have also looked great on their home court all season with their 33-8 home record which is one of the best home records in the entire NBA. Meanwhile, the Lakers have looked a lot worse in their road games this year with their 19-21 road record and they showed once again on Saturday that they have no answers for this Nuggets team. The Lakers don't really have much of a chance at getting through the Nuggets in this series and if they are going to win a game this time, it's not going to be on the road with that home advantage Denver has along with the elevation. The best way to place a bet here is on the Nuggets to cover the spread in this game.
Lakers Nuggets Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Monday, April 22, 2024 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Nuggets 117 Lakers 99.
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NBA Betting Trends
Los Angeles Lakers: 24-18 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread. 7-2 ATS after scoring 105 points or less. 28-19 ATS off a road loss by 10 points or more. 7-3 UNDER when playing with triple revenge - 3 straight losses vs. opponent. 5-2 UNDER in the first round of the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets: 7-12 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more. 12-20 ATS after 2 consecutive covers as a favorite. 25-34 ATS after successfully covering the spread in 2 or more consecutive games. 40-21 UNDER when the total is greater than or equal to 220. 26-17 UNDER as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 27-18 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive unders.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Lakers: C. Reddish (SF) Ques Mon - Ankle. J. Vanderbilt (SF) Early May - Foot. J. Hood-Schifino (PG) Out indefinitely - Back. C. Wood (PF) Out indefinitely - Knee.
Denver Nuggets: C. Gillespie (PG) Ques Mon - Knee. V. Cancar (SF) out for season - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“We’re not going anywhere. This is the playoffs. No team in the playoffs, if you get down 12 early, you’re not going to just take your ball and go home. We still have plenty of fight left in us and we know that we were better than what we were playing early. That’s a good team over there. They came into the playoffs playing extremely well, and they showed it. LeBron was on course, I thought he’s about to have 50 points tonight, the way he was playing and shooting the ball.” - Michael Malone after his team’s win against the LA Lakers in game 1 of this series on Saturday.
“I thought we played some good ball tonight, just could have been better. You don't have much room for error versus Denver's team, especially at their home floor. They're just a team that's been through everything. Obviously, they're the defending champions, so you gotta execute, you gotta make shots, you gotta defend. And then you can't give them extra possessions.” - LeBron James after their loss against the Nuggets in game 1 of this series on Saturday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Lakers
PG D'Angelo Russell
SG Austin Reaves
SF LeBron James
PF Rui Hachimura
C Anthony Davis
Denver Nuggets
PG Jamal Murray
SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF Michael Porter Jr.
PF Aaron Gordon
C Nikola Jokic
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: L. James (25.7)
APG: L. James (8.3)
Reb/G: A. Davis (12.6)
Denver Nuggets
PPG: N. Jokic (26.4)
APG: N. Jokic (9)
Reb/G: N. Jokic (12.4)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Lakers: Darvin Ham (2nd season)
Denver Nuggets: Michael Malone (9th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
