Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview

Denver Nuggets (35-16 SU, 21-28 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (27-25 SU, 23-29 ATS)

When: Thursday, February 8th, 10:00 PM (ET)

Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles

TV: TNT

Point Spread: Den -3.5/LAL +3.5

Total: 231

Money Line: Nuggs -167/Lake Show +138

Notable Injuries

Nuggets

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Questionable) Hamstring
• Vlatko Cancar (Out) Knee

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Questionable) Achilles/Hip
• LeBron James (Questionable) Ankle
• Jarred Vanderbilt (Out) Foot
• Gabe Vincent (Out) Knee
• Cam Reddish (Out) Ankle

The Denver Nuggets are favored by 3.5 points on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the over/under for this Western Conference matchup is 231. Denver has won two straight games and is 35-16 on the year, while the Lakers have won three straight and are 27-25.

This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will tip off at 10:00 ET. TNT will broadcast the game nationally.

Recent Form

On the season, Denver has an O/U record of 18-32-1, and their games have averaged 225.4 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 231, and 35 of their games have had lower over/under lines than that.

In Denver’s last game against the Trail Blazers, they won 112-103 as 15-point favorites. The O/U line for that game was 220.5, and the Nuggets have now won two straight games.

In the Western Conference, the Nuggets are currently in 3rd place with a record of 35-16. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 19-11 and 4-5 against teams in their division.

On the road, Denver is 14-12 this season, and they are favored by 3.5 points against the Lakers. However, their ATS record on the road is just 9-16 compared to 12-12 at home.

This season, the Nuggets have been favored in 45 of their 51 games, and they have a record of 33-12 as the favorite. Their ATS record as the favorite is 18-25, and they have failed to cover the spread in their last two games.

The Lakers have won three straight games and are currently 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 27-25. In the Pacific Division, they are 4th.

At home, the Lakers are 17-8 this season and have an average scoring margin of +4.8 points per game. As the underdog, they are 8-15 straight-up and 11-12 against the spread.

On average, the Lakers’ games have seen a combined scoring total of 233.3 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 231 points, and the team’s over/under record for the season is 29-23.

In their last game, the Lakers defeated the Hornets by a score of 124-118. The O/U line for that game was 227 points, and the Lakers were favored by 13.5 points going into the game.

The Lakers’ ATS record for the season is 23-29, and they have covered the spread in their last two home games. Today, they are 3.5-point underdogs vs. the Nuggets.

The Historicals

In terms of betting, Denver has an ATS record of 3-2 in the previous 5 matchups vs Los Angeles. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +7 points per game in favor of the Nuggets. Denver and Los Angeles averaged a combined 229 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

On the season, the Nuggets are 16th in the NBA in scoring at 114.8 points per game. However, they are just 24th in scoring on the road at 110.2 points per game. For the season, they have outscored the NBA scoring average in 47.1% of their games.

Denver is one of the best two-point shooting teams in the league, making 56% of their attempts (8th). In terms of field goal percentage, they are 6th at 49%. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 12th at 37%.

Despite being one of the slowest-paced teams in the league (30th), the Nuggets are 4th in assists at 28.7 per game. In terms of offensive rebounding, they are 10th in the NBA.

So far this season, the Nuggets defense has been performing well, ranking 4th in the NBA at 110.6 points allowed per contest. Most recently, the Nuggets’ defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 103 points to the Trail Blazers.

Heading into this game, the Lakers are 15th in the league in scoring at 116.7 points per game at home. Overall, they are 14th in the NBA in scoring at 116.2 points per game. In terms of pace, the Lakers are 6th in the league at 101.2 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Lakers are 7th in field goal percentage at 49%. However, they are just 28th in three-point shooting at 36% and are last in the league in three-point attempts. In terms of two-point shooting, the Lakers are 9th in the league at 56%.

One area where the Lakers have struggled is on the offensive glass, as they are last in the NBA in offensive rebounds. In terms of assists, the Lakers are 8th in the league at 28.3 per game.

The Lakers’ defense is presently ranked 18th in the league, allowing an average of 117.1 points per contest. Opponents are hitting 54.1% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 37.7% of their three-point attempts.

Betting Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Nuggets have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 3-6-1 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 109 points per game in these contests.
• Through their last ten home games, Los Angeles has an ATS record of just 4-6. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 119 points per game.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Lakers have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Nuggets have an overall record of 3-0 while going 1-2 against the spread.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

While recent history shows the Nuggets beating up the Lakers, this isn’t exactly true when you look at games played at the Staples Center. The Nuggets are a GREAT team, but can be vulernable on the road. I’m betting the Lakers at +3.5 tonight.

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