The Los Angeles Lakers are now the betting favorites to finish the regular season as the third seed and face the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which will begin next Saturday.
Lakers — 62.9% Nuggets — 37.1%
(H/t @FDSportsbook)
Thunder (54%) vs Clippers (1%) Spurs (22%) vs Suns (1%) Lakers (4%) vs T-Wolves (3%) Nuggets (14%) vs Rockets (3%)
JJ Redick’s team was previously expected to finish as the fourth seed and face the Houston Rockets in a 4 vs. 5 matchup.
All that changed Saturday night when the Denver Nuggets shockingly announced they would rest nearly all their starters for Sunday’s season finale against the San Antonio Spurs. As a result, the Nuggets enter the game as heavy betting underdogs to lose and fall to the fourth seed, setting up a first-round matchup against the Rockets.
OUT Christian Braun Aaron Gordon Tim Hardaway Jr Cam Johnson Spencer Jones Jamal Murray Peyton Watson
QUESTIONABLE Nikola Jokić
Lakers Huge Favorites to Beat Jazz
Meanwhile, the Lakers enter their regular-season finale as a whopping 16.5-point favorite to beat the Utah Jazz. If the Nuggets lose to the Spurs, the Lakers will surpass Nikola Jokic and Co. in the standings by virtue of a 2-1 series win and tiebreaker.
Only LeBron James and Jaxson Hayes are listed as questionable for the Lakers, while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remain out. With the opportunity to secure the third seed, the Lakers could play James, even if only in limited minutes, per several insiders.
The spurs opened at -1.5 -> -5.5
Nuggets Tanking 3rd Seed?
The Nuggets’ decision to sit out most of their starters has not sat well with their fanbase, given that falling to the fourth seed would mean a possible second-round playoff matchup against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder. By remaining the third seed, Denver would likely face San Antonio in the second round — a significantly easier series, considering they beat Victor Wembanyama and Co. twice in the last month.
“We have to be brickheads,” a Nuggets fan said of the strategy to tank the 3rd seed.
“Minnesota suck this year, Spurs are young and we can nullify Wemby’s defense. And then we can get to OKC after they crawl out of a physical matchup with Houston.
“Playing OKC in round 2 is stupid,” he added.
Another fan felt that the Nuggets were basically offering the Spurs an easier path to the Western Conference Finals.
“Why would you throw away the 3 seed?”
“You do realize you don’t get to play the Lakers in the 1st round and will get OKC in the 2nd. Such a foolish strategy.Please don’t tell me you are afraid of the Timberwolves in the 1st round.”
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps also does not understand the Nuggets’ strategy.
“I have to admit I’m pretty baffled by this strategy move from Denver.”
As for the injury-ravaged Lakers, a first-round matchup against the Timberwolves — whom they lost to in the playoffs last year — is not exactly good news. However, if they can survive Minnesota, the Lakers would avoid a dreaded second-round matchup with the Thunder—the overwhelming favorite to repeat as NBA champions.
THAT WOULD MEAN LAKERS vs TIMBERWOLVES IN THE 1ST ROUND 😳
Lakers Get Shocking Update on Playoffs Matchup Amid Nuggets News