Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers Prediction 1/20/26 NBA Picks Today

The Los Angeles Lakers pay a visit to the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena on Tuesday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been doing it tough lately as they’ve dropped five of their last seven games overall, but they will be hoping to build some momentum after blowing past the Raptors in a 110-93 win on Sunday. Deandre Ayton led the team with 25 points and 13 rebounds on 10 of 10 shooting, Luka Doncic tallied 25 points with seven assists while LeBron James chipped in with 24 points and seven assists on nine of 17 shooting. As a team, the Lakers shot 48 percent from the field and 14 of 36 from the 3-point line as they poured in 32 points in the second quarter to take the lead after trailing early on, but this was a close contest until the fourth quarter where the Lakers held the Raptors to just 13 points to make it a blowout in the end.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in great form as they’ve won six of their last eight games overall, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after having their four-game win streak snapped by the Hornets in a 110-87 loss on Sunday. Jamal Murray led the team in scoring with just 16 points, Julian Strawther added 15 points off the bench while Jalen Pickett chipped in with 12 points and seven assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot just 41 percent from the field and eight of 38 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrible start and were always fighting a losing battle after getting outscored by 60-34 in the first half. The Nuggets just couldn’t make their open shots early on and they didn’t find any rhythm until the fourth quarter where they were already trailing by 33 points. Hunter Tyson had a night to forget as he shot zero of nine from the field to finish with just one point off the bench.

The Lakers are still slightly shorthanded with Austin Reaves still ruled out, while the Nuggets have ruled out Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun once again. The Lakers haven’t been playing anywhere near their best lately, but they are slowly getting players back from injury and they looked great in their big win over the Raptors on Sunday. The Nuggets come into this contest as the team in better form despite missing some key players, but they really laid an egg in their last game to get blown out by the Hornets. I get why the Lakers are favorites on the road in this spot, but the Nuggets have been playing great thanks to Jamal Murray who has really elevated his game lately and I think they can maintain their momentum with an upset win over the Lakers at home in this spot.

Peter Tran's Free Pick: Denver +2.5

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