Anthony Davis returned last Saturday and LeBron James got back in action this weekend, but the Lakers are still slumping. Entering Sunday, they have lost five of six and are now in danger of falling below sixth in the Western Conference standings. That’s critical as the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10^th seeds will have to play their way into the playoffs.

On Monday, they’ll host the Denver Nuggets, who have won five straight and nine of 10. Can the Lakers get back on track or will the Nuggets make a statement?

NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Nuggets have won eight of their last nine against teams with a winning record and are 6-3 against the spread in those games. They have dropped nine of their last 14 against the Lakers.

The Lakers have been a terrible bet of late as they haven’t covered in six straight games. They are just 11-19 against the spread in their 30 home games this season.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets will be looking to make a statement on Monday. They’ve lost star point guard Jamal Murray for the season but they’ve still been playing well. However, their goal isn’t to simply finish well in the regular season; they want playoff success. The oddsmakers aren’t putting much faith in their recent run as the Lakers are still favored to win the West even though the Nuggets are 6.5 games higher than them in the standings. This game will be an opportunity for the Nuggets to go on the road and show that their recent run is not a mirage. After beating the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center, a win over the Lakers would give them a lot of confidence as the postseason approaches.

Los Angeles Lakers

The first thing to keep in mind with this contest is to check out who is playing. The Lakers played on Sunday night at home to the Toronto Raptors. This being a back-to-back situation, we might see the Lakers rest some stars or starters. On Sunday, Dennis Schroder was held out but Davis played. It might be the case that Davis is rested on Monday.

Beyond that, even if the Lakers are at full strength, there is some concern. They have had so many different lineup changes that they aren’t playing like a cohesive unit these days. The loss on Friday was particularly concerning as it came at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. Prior to that, they lost to the Washington Wizards.

The offense is a mess right now as they’ve scored just 104.5 points per game over their last five. Facing a Nuggets team that’s clicking, the Lakers will need to score more if they want to pull out a win.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Nuggets vs. Lakers?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Nuggets Team Leaders

DEN

Points	Nikola Jokic 26.36
Assists	Nikola Jokic 8.32
Rebounds	Nikola Jokic 10.83
FG%	Nikola Jokic 56.6
Steals	Jamal Murray 1.33
Blocks	JaVale McGee 1.08

LAL

Points	LeBron James 25.02
Assists	LeBron James 7.78
Rebounds	Andre Drummond 10.19
FG%	Montrezl Harrell 62.2
Steals	Anthony Davis 1.25
Blocks	Anthony Davis 1.64

DEN

Points	Nikola Jokic 29.8
Assists	Monte Morris 5.5
Rebounds	Nikola Jokic 11.6
FG%	Vlatko Cancar 100
Steals	Facundo Campazzo 1.4
Blocks	JaVale McGee 1.25

LAL

Points	LeBron James 23.33
Assists	LeBron James 8
Rebounds	Andre Drummond 11
FG%	Marc Gasol 61.5
Steals	LeBron James 1.5
Blocks	Anthony Davis 1.6

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Lakers Team Leaders

DEN

Points	Nikola Jokic 26.36
Assists	Nikola Jokic 8.32
Rebounds	Nikola Jokic 10.83
FG%	Nikola Jokic 56.6
Steals	Jamal Murray 1.33
Blocks	JaVale McGee 1.08

LAL

Points	LeBron James 25.02
Assists	LeBron James 7.78
Rebounds	Andre Drummond 10.19
FG%	Montrezl Harrell 62.2
Steals	Anthony Davis 1.25
Blocks	Anthony Davis 1.64

DEN

Points	Nikola Jokic 29.8
Assists	Monte Morris 5.5
Rebounds	Nikola Jokic 11.6
FG%	Vlatko Cancar 100
Steals	Facundo Campazzo 1.4
Blocks	JaVale McGee 1.25

LAL

Points	LeBron James 23.33
Assists	LeBron James 8
Rebounds	Andre Drummond 11
FG%	Marc Gasol 61.5
Steals	LeBron James 1.5
Blocks	Anthony Davis 1.6

Injuries

Denver

Michael Porter Jr. (PF)

Prob Wed Back - 09 / 06 / 21

Austin Rivers (PG)

Prob Sat Illness - 21 / 05 / 21

Paul Millsap (PF)

Out Fri Rest - 14 / 05 / 21

Facundo Campazzo (PG)

Out Fri Rest - 14 / 05 / 21

Aaron Gordon (PF)

Out Fri Rest - 14 / 05 / 21

Monte Morris (PG)

Out Thurs Rest - 13 / 05 / 21

Michael Porter Jr. (PF)

Out Thurs Rest - 13 / 05 / 21

Aaron Gordon (PF)

Prob Tues Calf - 09 / 05 / 21

PJ Dozier (SG)

Late June Groin - 04 / 05 / 21

Zeke Nnaji (PF)

Ques Sat Ankle - 30 / 04 / 21

L.A. Lakers

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG)

Ques Thurs Knee - 02 / 06 / 21

Kostas Antetokounmpo (PF)

Out indefinitely Personal - 31 / 05 / 21

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG)

Prob Tues Knee - 28 / 05 / 21

Andre Drummond (C)

Ques Sun Leg - 20 / 05 / 21

Alex Caruso (SG)

Prob Sun Foot - 16 / 05 / 21

Kyle Kuzma (PF)

Prob Sun Back - 16 / 05 / 21

Kyle Kuzma (PF)

Prob Sat Back - 14 / 05 / 21

Alfonzo McKinnie (SF)

Prob Sun Foot - 14 / 05 / 21

Marc Gasol (C)

Prob Sun Finger - 14 / 05 / 21

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG)

Prob Wed Ankle - 12 / 05 / 21

Injuries

Denver

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Michael Porter Jr. (PF)	Prob Wed	Back - 09 / 06 / 21	0-3	1-2	+ -
Porter Jr. is expected to take on the Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference second round despite a back injury.
Austin Rivers (PG)	Prob Sat	Illness - 21 / 05 / 21	4-6	7-3	+ -
Rivers is ailing from an illness, but it is anticipated that he will take on the Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round.
Paul Millsap (PF)	Out Fri	Rest - 14 / 05 / 21	6-6	7-5	+ -
Millsap will not take the court versus the Pistons on Friday as he will be handed a day of rest.
Facundo Campazzo (PG)	Out Fri	Rest - 14 / 05 / 21	6-6	7-5	+ -
Campazzo will be held out of the lineup against the Pistons on Friday as he will receive a day of rest.
Aaron Gordon (PF)	Out Fri	Rest - 14 / 05 / 21	6-6	7-5	+ -
Gordon will not be available for Friday's matchup with the Pistons as he will be given a day of rest.
Monte Morris (PG)	Out Thurs	Rest - 13 / 05 / 21	6-7	8-5	+ -
Morris will not be available for Thursday's contest versus the Timberwolves as he will be given a day of rest.
Michael Porter Jr. (PF)	Out Thurs	Rest - 13 / 05 / 21	6-7	8-5	+ -
Porter Jr. will not take the court against the Timberwolves on Thursday as he will receive a day of rest.
Aaron Gordon (PF)	Prob Tues	Calf - 09 / 05 / 21	6-9	10-5	+ -
Gordon is dealing with right calf tightness, but he is likely to suit up for Tuesday's battle against the Hornets.
PJ Dozier (SG)	Late June	Groin - 04 / 05 / 21	8-10	10-8	+ -
Dozier is sidelined with a right adductor strain, and he is not expected to be available until the later part of June.
Zeke Nnaji (PF)	Ques Sat	Ankle - 30 / 04 / 21	9-11	11-9	+ -
Nnaji has sat out the previous four games due to a sprained left ankle, and it is up in the air if he will take the court versus the Nets on Saturday.

L.A. Lakers

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG)	Ques Thurs	Knee - 02 / 06 / 21	0-2	0-2	+ -
Caldwell-Pope is nursing a knee injury, and it is unclear if he will be active for Game 6 of the Western Conference first round versus the Suns.
Kostas Antetokounmpo (PF)	Out indefinitely	Personal - 31 / 05 / 21	0-2	0-2	+ -
Antetokounmpo is away from the team while tending to a personal matter, and there is no timetable for return.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG)	Prob Tues	Knee - 28 / 05 / 21	2-2	0-3-1	+ -
Caldwell-Pope is nursing a left knee contusion, but he is likely to suit up for Game 5 of the Western Conference first round versus the Suns.
Andre Drummond (C)	Ques Sun	Leg - 20 / 05 / 21	3-3	0-5-1	+ -
Drummond is dealing with a leg injury, and it is unknown if he will suit up for Game 1 of the Western Conference first round versus the Suns.
Alex Caruso (SG)	Prob Sun	Foot - 16 / 05 / 21	3-4	1-5-1	+ -
Caruso is battling left foot soreness, but he is likely to be active for Sunday's game versus the Pelicans.
Kyle Kuzma (PF)	Prob Sun	Back - 16 / 05 / 21	3-4	1-5-1	+ -
Kuzma is bothered by lower-back tightness, but he is projected to be available for Sunday's contest against the Pelicans.
Kyle Kuzma (PF)	Prob Sat	Back - 14 / 05 / 21	3-5	2-5-1	+ -
Kuzma is hindered by lower-back tightness, but he is likely to be in Saturday's lineup versus the Pacers.
Alfonzo McKinnie (SF)	Prob Sun	Foot - 14 / 05 / 21	3-5	2-5-1	+ -
McKinnie was held out of the last game with a right foot sprain, but it is likely that he will take on the Pelicans on Sunday.
Marc Gasol (C)	Prob Sun	Finger - 14 / 05 / 21	3-5	2-5-1	+ -
Gasol missed the last game due to a finger injury, but it is anticipated that he will be available to face the Pelicans on Sunday.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG)	Prob Wed	Ankle - 12 / 05 / 21	4-6	3-6-1	+ -
Caldwell-Pope is expected to suit up against the Rockets despite an ankle injury.