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Andrew Rogers
Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 4 Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
Avoiding that will depend largely on whether they can continue their hot-shooting ways as they face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference final on Thursday night in the Orlando bubble. Denver shot a blistering 54.8 percent from the floor in Tuesday’s 114-106 win, but needed a late surge after nearly squandering a 20-point fourth-quarter advantage.
NBA Playoffs Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Lakers are six-point favourites in their quest to take a 3-1 series lead – but that Lake Show lustre appears to be wearing off, with 54 percent of Sports Interaction respondents leaning toward the Nuggets and the points. Denver has covered in each of the past two games and is a red-hot 5-1 ATS in its last six games dating back to its stunning comeback against the L.A. Clippers. And the Nuggets are 6-3 ATS in the previous nine games against the Lakers.
Bettors are facing a Game 4 total of 214.5, with the teams having gone 2-1 O/U through the opening three games. And that trend is resonating with the public, who are on the O214.5 at a whopping 81-percent rate. But the Lakers are on a 4-2 Under run dating back to their second-round series with the Houston Rockets, while the Nuggets have converted the Under in eight of their previous 11 games. The teams, however, are 5-1 O/U in their last six meetings.
Los Angeles Lakers
What is the secret to rebounding from an ugly Game 3 loss in which the score might actually have flattered the West-champion Lakers? Two things, according to LeBron James: fouling less and being more careful with the basketball. James pointed out to reporters after the game that the Lakers gave 29 free-throw attempts to the Nuggets (who are shooting north of 80 percent from the line) while seeing Denver turn their 16 turnovers into 25 points.
Denver Nuggets
Both teams rely heavily on their top two scorers – but it was the Nuggets who got the secondary scoring they needed to dig out of an 0-2 series hole. Jerami Grant poured in a playoff-high 26 points in support of Jamal Murray (28) and Nikola Jokic (22) while Monte Morris added 14 in a reserve role. By comparison, LeBron and Anthony Davis combined for 57 of the Lakers’ 106 points in the Game 3 defeat, with the next-highest scorer producing just 11 points.
LAL
DEN