It’s Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. The Nuggets secured the victory in the opening game of this series, so now the pressure is on LA to bounce back and even things up. Can LeBron James and Anthony Davis lead the Lakers to victory, or will Nikola Jokic have another inspired performance put the Nuggets up 2-0? Let’s take a look at the odds, betting lines and our expert’s predictions and best bets for Lakers vs Nuggets.
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LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets spread, odds & betting lines
Odds on Lakers vs Nuggets courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Point spread: Lakers +5.5, Nuggets -5.5
Total points over/under: 226.5 points
Money line odds: Lakers +176; Nuggets -210
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LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets expert picks
Lakers vs Nuggets money line pick: Lakers ML (+176)
The Los Angeles Lakers look to bounce back from their Game 1 loss and tie the series up against the Denver Nuggets. Although the Lakers lost Game 1, they were down by 21 at one point in the game and fought all the way back where they got it as close as 3 late in the 4th quarter. The Lakers made a solid adjustment by putting Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic and having Anthony Davis play the help side for the double team. In that 2nd half, Jokic wasn’t that productive although he ended the 1st half with a triple double as the Lakers did come out flat to start the game. If the Lakers are able to disrupt Jokic (which will be a difficult and tall task as he has notched a triple-double in 4 out of the last 5 games) the Lakers could possibly come out of Denver with a win.
What needs to continue for the Lakers along with their defensive adjustments is their efficiency from the floor. In Game 1, the Lakers shot around 55% from the floor along with 45% from the 3. Anthony Davis, who scored 40 points in Game 1, may need to repeat or come close to that same performance to lead the Lakers to a win and tie the series up. The key for the Lakers should be to stay aggressive and disrupt Jokic or possibly get him in foul trouble. Although Lakers +5.5 is a safe play, I love the value we are getting for the Lakers to win outright in this spot. Lakers ML is the play.
Be sure to check out our full LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets predictions
Lakers vs Nuggets over/under total pick: Under 226.5 (-108)
In Game 1, the total score hit well over the total that was set at 222 as the score was 132-126. I think we are going to get a game where adjustments will be made defensively for both the Nuggets and Lakers. While the Lakers were shooting well from the floor, the Nuggets shot almost identically the same from the field. If the Lakers want to come out with a victory, they need to step up on the defensive end. There are slight inconsistencies with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. as they do tend to fall flat in their next game following solid performances from the two starters. I expect this game to be more of a defensive game and will look to go under the total of 226.5.
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