The Los Angeles Lakers (33-28) host the the Denver Nuggets (41-19) in a conference matchup on Saturday evening. This is the third game of the season between these opponents. On Feb. 8, Denver defeated the Lakers 114-106, giving the Nuggets their third straight win over Los Angeles. LeBron James is just nine points away from becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points. James (ankle) is listed as questionable. Jamal Murray (ankle) is questionable for Denver.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The latest Nuggets vs. Lakers odds via SportsLine consensus list this game as a pick'em. The over/under for total points is 228. Before making any Lakers vs. Nuggets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 63-39 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Nuggets. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Nuggets vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Nuggets spread: PK
- Lakers vs. Nuggets over/under: 228 points
- Lakers vs. Nuggets money line: Los Angeles -111, Denver -109
- LAL: The Los Angeles Lakers are 13-16 ATS this season
- DEN: The Denver Nuggets are 2-0 ATS against the Lakers this season
- Lakers vs. Nuggets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Lakers can cover
The Lakers will hope to get James and Anthony Davis plenty of support on Saturday. Guard D'Angelo Russell has a knockdown perimeter jumper with the range to consistently space the floor. The Ohio State product is averaging 17.6 points, 6.4 assists and shoots 41% from downtown. In Thursday's win over the Wizards, Russell had 22 points, six boards and five assists.
He scored 20-plus points in three of his last four games. Guard Austin Reaves provides the Lakers with another reliable playmaker. Reaves scans the floor well as a passer and has a knack for scoring from all three levels. He averages 15.7 points, four rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. On Feb. 28 versus the Clippers, Reaves had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Nuggets can cover
Center Nikola Jokic has been one of the best players in the league over the past few years. The six-time All-Star has outstanding court vision and is comfortable as a scorer. Jokic logs 25.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game.
In the Feb. 25 win over the Warriors, Jokic tallied 32 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. Forward Aaron Gordon is an athletic force in the frontcourt. Gordon is constantly cutting to the rim and has the bounce to rise for dunks and rebounds. The 28-year-old logs 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. In his last game, Gordon notched 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Nuggets vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 231 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Lakers vs. Nuggets, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 63-39 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
