The Los Angeles Lakers travel to the Ball Arena to duke it out with the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 on Saturday night. Here’s a Lakers vs Nuggets prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the hottest teams in the league as they reeled off 11 wins in their last 14 games overall and they will be eager to stay hot after beating the Pelicans in a 110-106 win on Tuesday. LeBron James led the team with 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, D’Angelo Russell added 21 points with six assists while Anthony Davis chipped in with 20 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. As a team, the Lakers shot just 41 percent from the field and 14 of 35 from the 3-point line as they dominated the second quarter by 34-16 to turn a 10-point deficit into an 18-point lead, before they held off a late charge from the Pelicans who made it interesting at the end.
Denver Nuggets
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are coming into this series with plenty of momentum as they have won 10 of their last 14 games also and they capped off their regular season with a 126-111 road win over the Grizzlies on Sunday. Jamal Murray led the team with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, Nikola Jokic tallied 15 points with 15 rebounds, five assists and four steals while Christian Braun chipped in with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists off the bench. As a team, the Nuggets shot 51 percent from the field and 12 of 36 from the 3-point line as they took control early and outpaced the Grizzlies to a 26-point lead in the third quarter, before they rested their starters early.
Denver Nuggets Team Facts
- The Nuggets have won each of their last eight games against the Lakers.
- The road team has covered the spread in nine of the Nuggets’ last 10 playoff games.
- Each of the Nuggets’ last nine home games against Pacific Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Los Angeles Lakers Team Facts
- The Lakers have won each of their last six road games.
- The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in nine of their last 10 Western Conference First Round games as underdogs.
- Six of the Lakers’ last seven games against Western Conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Lakers vs Nuggets prediction
The Lakers are still a little shorthanded with role players Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt still out, while the Nuggets have all their key players healthy and available. The Lakers weren’t able to figure out the Nuggets last season, they haven’t been able to slow down Jokic, and they were far from convincing in their narrow win over the Pelicans on Tuesday. The Nuggets have been solid all season, they have just about everyone available, and they should be able to win this series within six games. I’m not saying the Lakers can pull off the upset here, but I think they can hang around and push the Nuggets in a close one.