Free NBA Pick: Nuggets vs. Lakers NBA Odds
Looking for Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Nuggets taking on the Lakers on Saturday, May 20th, 2023 at Crypto.com Arena. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Nuggets Lakers matchup.
2023 NBA Handicapping – Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
(2-0) Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers (0-2)
Date: Saturday, May 20th
Time: 8:30 PM EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Moneyline NBA Odds: Nuggets +195 | Lakers -225 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Lakers -5.5
Today’s NBA Betting Total: 224
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The Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers shifts venues with the next two games in LA. Denver held form at home taking a 2-0 series with a 108-103 victory on Thursday.
There is pressure on the Lakers who’ll need to counter by winning both home games or risk an early exit with the Nuggets needing just two wins in the next five games to advance to the NBA Finals.
ATS
At this time, the Nuggets are 51-43-1 overall against the spread this season. Also, they are 21-25 ATS as the away team. Additionally, the Lakers are 50-45-2 against the spread this season. Also, they are 27-20-1 ATS as the home team
Season Series
The teams split the season series 2-2 but notably, Denver hasn’t faced the revamped LA roster given they completed the season series before the trade deadline.
In the four meetings, Nikola Jokic averaged 23.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 9.75 assists, and 2.25 steals in just over 35 minutes per game. Anthony Davis sat one game averaging 18.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.6 steals in just over 30 minutes (exiting early in one game).
This is the eighth time the clubs are facing each other in the postseason with LA winning all prior series and the most recent meeting being in the 2020 Orlando bubble when the Lakers won 4-1 and advanced to win the title.
Denver Nuggets
Darvin Ham came prepared with a plan to limit Nikola Jokic and while he revisited Rui Hachimura spending time on the Joker, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James also took turns with the latter having great success (but at a cost as per below).
LA’s overall defensive plan stymied the Nuggets who trailed much of the game as Jokic shot 9 of 21 but still collected a triple-double of 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Jamal Murray struggled through the initial three quarters shooting 3 of 15 but found his rhythm in the final frame dropping 23 points while the Lakers entire squad scored 24.
Playing in his third postseason, it was the fourth time the Canadian scored 20 points in the final frame the most by any player in the last 25 years (Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson did it twice each).
Stats
On the positive side, Denver possesses one of the two best offenses in the league highlighted by scoring 115.8 points per game ranking 12th. Denver is shooting the best field goal percentage of 50.4% as well as the fourth-best perimeter efficiency of 37.9%.
Denver allows opponents to score 112.5 points per game which ranks eighth while limiting foes to 47.8% from the field and 34.4% from deep ranking 20th and third respectively.
Injury Report
To summarize the injury report…
- Collin Gillespie PG (OUT—leg fracture)
Los Angeles Lakers
D’Angelo Russell began the match in Denver Thursday yapping a bit with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and got very animated when Bruce Brown checked in given the latter had told reporters the Nuggets were purposely hunting him on defense in Game 1.
While DLo drew first blood by saddling two quick fouls on KCP it was Brown and the Nuggets who got the last laugh and extra taunting ammo.
In the series, the Lakers are minus -41 with DLo on the court but are plus +30 with him sitting and since he isn’t offering much in the way of offense Ham was forced to find other options.
Although Davis was solid defensively he reverted back to his one game on, one game off offense, shooting 4 of 15 for 18 points (with eight coming at the charity stripe).
In order to free up AD into the rover role, James spent most of the second half guarding Jokic and while that was effective the toll it took on him physically was evident particularly late.
LeBron flirted with a triple-double (22 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists) but was 0-6 from deep with three of those attempts coming in the final frame.
Stats
On the negative side, LA allows opponents to score an average of 116.6 points per game ranking 20th. Their opponents shoot 46.9% from the field and 34.4% from behind the arc ranking 10th and second respectively.
Another key point is the Lakers score 117.2 points per game which rank sixth-best while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from the perimeter ranking 10th and 25th respectively.
Injury Report
To summarize the injury report…
- LeBron James, SF (probable —ankle)
- Mo Bamba, C (questionable—ankle)
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Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Betting Trends:
- At this point, the Nuggets are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games.
- Also, the Nuggets are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games against LA Lakers.
- By comparison, the Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.
- In conclusion, the Lakers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games at home.
Free Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Prediction:
Teams who are up 2-0 in a seven-game series win 92% (415-33) of the time while Conference Finalists are 56-6 (90.3%) when leading by two.
Granted, LeBron captained the Cavaliers to victory three times after trailing 0-2, twice in the Eastern Conference Finals (2007 versus Pistons, 2018 versus Celtics) and against the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
While LA hasn’t lost at home this postseason the elephant in the room is they need to win four of five to advance to the Finals. With James and Davis logging 40 minutes per game and playing every other day, that’s a tall task.
That said, although the Nuggets are unbeaten at home they are 2-3 on the road so given the desperation the Lakers will bring to the hardwood Saturday, I’m betting they’ll break into the series with a Game 3 victory.
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