by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024
Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Thursday, April 25, 2024
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: TNT, MAX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Nuggets -1, Lakers +1; Over/Under: 215.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Nuggets -1.5, Lakers +1.5; Over/Under: 215.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Nuggets -1.5, Lakers +1.5; Over/Under: 215.5 points
Season Record
Denver Nuggets: 57-25 (2nd place, Northwest Division)
Los Angeles Lakers: 47-35 (3rd place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Denver Nuggets: 8-2 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers: 6-4 last 10
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Analysis
The Nuggets are entering this game with a 57-25 record overall to finish the regular season and they were 24-17 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 3 game winning streak with wins coming against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers in their last 2 games. In their last game against the Lakers in game 2 of this series, Nikola Jokić led the team in points in that game with 27 while Michael Porter Jr. was next on the team with 22 points. Nikola Jokić led the team in assists in that game with 10 while Nikola Jokić led the team in rebounds with 20. They were 44.3% from the field, 23.5% from 3-point range, and 88.2% 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 39-43-2 this season and their O/U record is 35-49.
The Lakers are entering this game with a 47-35 record overall to finish the regular season and they were 28-14 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game losing streak with losses coming against the Denver Nuggets in their last 2 games. In their last game against the Nuggets in game 2 of this series, Anthony Davis led the team in points in that game with 32 while LeBron James was next on the team with 26 points. LeBron James led the team in assists in that game with 12 while Anthony Davis led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 48.7% from the field, 43.3% from 3-point range, and 76.9% 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 41-45 this season and their O/U record is 47-38-1.
Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lakers listed as a 1 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 3 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 2-0 series lead after winning game 2 of this series on their home court. The Nuggets have looked great in their games all season as the defending NBA Champions look to repeat this year, but this season they only finished in the 2nd seed in the West and as good as they have looked in their road games with their 24-17 road record, they haven't been at their best in those games. The Lakers are down 2-0 in this series but they went toe-to-toe with the Nuggets in those 2 road games and were very close to winning game 2. They blew a big lead to lose game 2 by 2 points late but they showed that they are ripe for a win in this series and they are going to be desperate here, not only because they are down 2-0 in the series, but also because they have been so bad against the Nuggets in their last 10 meetings. The Lakers already came very close to beating the Nuggets in this series and that game was on the road where the Lakers have been terrible this season with their losing record, having to deal with the elevation of Colorado too. The Lakers have looked a lot better on their home court this season with their 28-14 home record and they are going to be motivated to beat this team. The Lakers came close in game 2 but this is the game they are going to take in this series as they finally get a much needed win against Denver. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lakers to cover the spread in this game.
Nuggets Lakers Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Thursday, April 25, 2024 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Lakers 109 Nuggets 106.
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NBA Betting Trends
Denver Nuggets: 16-23 ATS in road games. 7-15 ATS after 3 or more consecutive wins. 13-6 OVER when the total is 210 to 219.5. 4-1 OVER in the 3rd game of a playoff series.
Los Angeles Lakers: 17-7 ATS after scoring 100 points or less. 21-14 ATS after 1 or more consecutive losses. 8-4 OVER after 2 or more consecutive losses. 10-5 OVER after a game where both teams scored 105 points or less. 6-1 OVER off a close road loss of 3 points or less.
Key Injuries
Denver Nuggets: C. Gillespie (PG) Ques Thurs - Knee. V. Cancar (SF) out for season - Knee.
Los Angeles Lakers: C. Reddish (SF) Ques Thurs - Ankle. J. Vanderbilt (SF) Early May - Foot. J. Hood-Schifino (PG) Out indefinitely - Back. C. Wood (PF) Out indefinitely - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“We got the stop. Tie game. Why let them get set? Because, when they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays.” - Michael Malone after his team’s win against the LA Lakers in game 2 of this series on Monday.
“A 20-point lead in this league, it's not safe, especially against the defending champion. We've got to do better. But we had our chances.” - LeBron James after their loss against the Nuggets in game 2 of this series on Monday.
Starting Lineups
Denver Nuggets
PG Jamal Murray
SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF Michael Porter Jr.
PF Aaron Gordon
C Nikola Jokic
Los Angeles Lakers
PG D'Angelo Russell
SG Austin Reaves
SF LeBron James
PF Rui Hachimura
C Anthony Davis
Statistical Leaders
Denver Nuggets
PPG: N. Jokic (26.4)
APG: N. Jokic (9)
Reb/G: N. Jokic (12.4)
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: L. James (25.7)
APG: L. James (8.3)
Reb/G: A. Davis (12.6)
Coaches:
Denver Nuggets: Michael Malone (9th season)
Los Angeles Lakers: Darvin Ham (2nd 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.
