Getty LeBron James
The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers meet up for the third time on the season, with the series being split an even one game apiece. The Nuggets’ Trey Lyles is questionable for tonight’s matchup while the Lakers come in considerably more banged up. Lonzo Ball is out and Kyle Kuzma likely to miss the game while Tyson Chandler, Lance Stephenson, and Brandon Ingram are all questionable for tonight’s matchup.
The Denver Nuggets have actually been struggling as of late and head into tonight’s matchup on the back of a three-game losing streak. Despite the steadily strong play of Nikola Jokic (who has somehow posted a positive net rating in every game during the skid), the supporting cast of the Nuggets has been incredibly inconsistent. Will Barton has looked solid since his return from injury and even when his shot hasn’t been falling, has found a way to contribute in other departments. If they want to get back on track, the Nuggets will need more consistent offensive showings from Jamal Murray, Gary Harris Jr., and Paul Millsap.
The Los Angeles Lakers also head into the matchup on a three-game skid of their own. With the last loss all but eliminating them from playoff competition, the Lakers are in a state of disarray. LeBron James has been posting his typical efficient stat line but doesn’t seem to be showing any sense of urgency for the situation.
A microcosm of the Lakers season.
Nuggets-Lakers tomorrow night.
Content to simply coast on defense and hunt for stats, LeBron simply refuses to (or is just unable to) take over the game in the way which we’ve become accustomed to over the years.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Line & Over/Under
(Betting Line and Total courtesy of Oddsshark.com)
- Denver Nuggets (42-21) vs Los Angeles Lakers (30-34)
- Wednesday, March 6th at 10:30 pm ET
- Point Spread: Denver Nuggets (-5.5)
- Point Total: 230.5
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Pick & Prediction
Since both teams are heading into the matchup in the midst of some serious struggles and in desperate need of a win, look for a lot of points in this matchup. The Lakers bring one of the league’s worst defenses to the table and seem to have quit on that end of the court after their last game against a gritty and inspired effort from the Clippers.
The Nuggets are a solid defensive unit, but the Clippers were playing the Lakers with a chip on their shoulder and turned in a herculean effort on the defensive front. The Lakers should be able to put up points on the Nuggets, but won’t be able to slow down the Nuggets attack at all. The Nuggets have been uncharacteristically inconsistent on offense recently and that trend is unlikely to continue moving forward.
The last time we played the Lakers, we had our biggest margin of victory in franchise history against them, winning 117-85.
Look for a well-rounded offensive effort from the Nuggets and for James to have a monster statistical performance with most of his supporting cast hobbled. Rajon Rondo should also be in line for a big game and has been playing the best basketball of his season over the past few games. The only reason I am staying away from the spread in this game is the fact that the Lakers have lost three in a row and LeBron is still capable of going nuclear despite his age and reserved play this year. Look to the point total and expect a high-scoring shootout.
Pick: OVER 230.5