Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction, NBA Odds

Nik Kowalski | Updated Jan 09, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers will look to make it six wins in a row when they visit the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets on Monday.

L.A. Lakers
43-39
AT
January 09, 2023, 9:00 PM ET
Pepsi Center
Denver
53-29
Pointspread +13 -102
Moneyline +541
Over / Under o +237

64%

Betting Action

36%

Pointspread -13 -118
Moneyline -693
Over / Under u +237

64%

Betting Action

36%

L.A.’s current five=game win streak has them .5 games outside the Western Conference play-in picture, sitting at 19-21 on the season now. Denver’s 26-13 record has them atop the West, but with plenty of competition not far behind.

The Nuggets have been on a roll too with wins in eight of their last 10, and kicked off a three-game home stand Friday with a 13-point victory over Cleveland. L.A. is coming off back-to-back outings in which they scored 130 points, last playing Saturday at Sacramento in a 136-134 dub.

Tip-off at Ball Arena goes down at 9 p.m. EST. The Nuggets are 8.5-point favourites on home court with the spread at 239.5 on the NBA odds.

Lakers vs. Nuggets NBA Betting Odds

Playing Denver at home is the ultimate heat check for the Lakers, as the Nuggets have won 10 straight home games and are 16-3 on home court this season. Meanwhile L.A. is still sub .500 on the road at 9-13. Nine of the Lakers last 11 road games have finished over the total too, as well as six of the last seven Lakers–Nuggets contests played in Denver.

Monday’s the last of four regular season meetings between these clubs, with L.A. holding a 2-1 advantage in the first three clashes. L.A. scored at least 121 points in both their victories over Denver, with LeBron James leading them in scoring with a combined 56 points in the pair of victories. Los Angeles has come out winners in 11 of their last 16 meetings with Denver.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have averaged 125.8 points per game over their five-game streak, with James scoring at least 37 points in three of those wins. The 38-year-old James is seventh in the NBA with 29.1 points per game, which also leads the Lakers. L.A. is fifth in the league with 116.9 points per game.

But James’ dominant performance isn’t the reason why the Lakers offence is rolling lately — it’s the supporting cast. Thomas Bryant, who’s continuing to fill in for an injured Anthony Davis, is averaging nearly 22 points and 13 rebounds per contest this month. Starting point guard Dennis Schroder is also averaging nearly 24 points a night in January. Even Russell Westbrook scored 23 on Saturday at Sacramento.

Denver Nuggets

Denver’s also pretty solid when it comes to scoring, ranking seventh in the NBA with 116.7 points per game. Of course having Nikola Jokic, who’s currently got the second-best MVP odds at +225, makes all the difference but the big man is finally getting help from a complete cast of teammates. Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. are all averaging over 16 points a night and Jokic is the team leader with 25.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game.

Jokic recorded his league-leading 10th triple-double of the season in Denver’s most recent contest, finishing with 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. The Nuggets also converted on 17 of 35 three-point attempts, and remain the NBA’s lone squad shooting above 40 per cent from the arc this season.

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