LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets: How to Watch, Betting Odds & Prediction
(Featured image: Alamy Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets at the Cyrpto.com Arena in the early hours of Sunday in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals.
Champions Denver are hoping to retain their title, and are in a strong position to do so, currently sitting third in the conference led by MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic. The Lakers, in contrast, are ninth and battling to avoid the play-in tournament, though they face a tough fight with at least six other teams.
The Nuggets have beaten the Lakers twice in two meetings this season. The first game came in late October, which the home team won 119-107. Jokic dropped 29 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds. Their most recent matchup came in early February, in a closer game which ended 114-106. This time, Jamal Murray led the way with 29 points.
How to Watch LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets in the UK:
The match is not being shown live in the UK. Highlights of the game will be available on the NBA YouTube channel. Tip-off is at 1:30am on Sunday morning.
Recent Form:
LA Lakers:
Darvin Ham’s Lakers team are 7-3 in their last 10 games, but have been unable to make up much ground on the teams above them due to results not going their way. They bounced back well from a defeat at the Phoenix Suns last Sunday by beating their city rivals LA Clippers in a stunning comeback on Wednesday. In the 116-112 win, they entered the fourth quarter down 19, which they erased in most part due to Lebron James’ incredible performance.
James scored 19 fourth quarter points, outscoring the Clippers by himself. It was also the largest fourth quarter comeback of his 21-year career. On Thursday, they faced the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back, which they won to take their record to 33-28. Anthony Davis scored 40 points in the victory.
It has been an underwhelming season for LA, as both James and Davis have stayed healthy throughout the year, yet they have still struggled to find consistency at both ends of the court. The pair have had individually great seasons, with James averaging 25.3 points at age 39, whilst Davis contributes 25.1 per game. However, it is the performances of the role players which are holding the side back
Denver Nuggets:
After winning their fifth game in a row against the Miami Heat on Thursday, the Nuggets come into this one in fine form. They are the favourites to come out of the West and make a second consecutive finals appearance. Their win streak began against two lowly teams in the Wizards and Portland Trailblazers, but was continued with fine victories over the red-hot Golden State Warriors, and another good team in the Sacramento Kings.
The Warriors win was an excellent one on the road, as they came back from a double-digit deficit to eventually lead by 16. The Kings were missing De’Aaaron Fox, but Michael Malone’s side blew them away, defeating them by 21. Jokic recorded yet another triple double and kept his counterpart Domantas Sabonis quiet.
Jokic has enjoyed another fantastic campaign, averaging 25.8 points, 9.3 assists and 12.3 rebounds. Despite this, it still feels like Denver are yet to hit their peak this season, which is a scary thought for other contenders in the league. They have a very well balanced team, spearheaded by the immense talent of Jokic, and supported by the likes of Murray, Michael Porter Jr and Aaron Gordon. Their home record is extremely strong, at 24-5, only the Boston Celtics have had more success. Their record in the road is not as impressive, however, with 17 wins and 14 losses.
Team News:
Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent remain long-term absentees for the Lakers. Christian Wood will be re-evaluated in two weeks as he sits out with a knee injury.
The Nuggets' Jamal Murray exited Thursday night’s game against the Miami Heat with an ankle injury and did not return. As a result, his availability for Saturday’s game is in doubt.
Betting Odds:
The Lakers enter as slight favourites, coming in at 9/10 with PaddyPower (an implied probability of 52.63%).
The Nuggets meanwhile come in at evens with BetFred, carrying an implied probability of 50%.
Prediction:
Both teams are on winning streaks, the Lakers looking to win their third in a row, and the Nuggets their sixth. The hosts’ inconsistencies has left them fighting an uphill battle in the Western Conference, and this is expected to continue. However, the Lakers are strong at home and face a team who are not as good on the road. The Nuggets will take the win but the Lakers’ home advantage will allow them to keep it close.