The Denver Nuggets (41-19) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (33-28) on Saturday, March 2nd. This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and televised on ABC. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.

Nuggets vs Lakers

The Nuggets Are Coming Off A Win

Michael Porter Jr. led Denver with 30 points against the Heat, the highest on the team. He finished with a field goal percentage of 42.9% in the game. The Nuggets picked up a 103-97 win, and Nikola Jokic also added 18 points which was 2nd on the team.

With today’s game, the Nuggets will aim to add to their five game winning streak and their overall record stands at 41-19. In the Western Conference, the Nuggets are currently 3rd and in the Northwest division, they are 3rd as well.

Denver’s ATS record sits below .500 (26-32). During this season, Denver has a 22-27 record against the spread as favorites and 4-5 as underdogs.

The Lakers Are Coming Off A Win

The Lakers clinched a 134-131 win over the Wizards in their previous game. Going into the game, the Lakers were favored by -10.5 and their 3 point win was not enough to cover the spread. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 244 points in which the two teams surpassed.

When it comes to their overall record, the Lakers are 33-28 and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. At home, the Lakers are 21-9 compared to 12-19 on the road.

So far, Los Angeles’ ATS record is below .500 at 27-34. Los Angeles has failed to cover the spread in two straight home games and are 14-16 ATS at home compared to 13-18 on the road.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

In 60 games games, Denver has an average of 114.4 points per game (18th).

When it comes to scoring, the Nuggets are 18th in the league at 114.4 points per game. Interestingly, they have been better on the road, averaging 110.5 points compared to 118.5 at home. So far, Denver has outscored the NBA average in 46.7% of their games.

Denver’s offensive style is centered around getting to the rim, as they are 3rd in two-point field goals made. However, they are just 27th in three-pointers made and have a below-average three-point shooting percentage at 36%.

So far this season, the Nuggets are 7th in the league in field goal percentage at 49%. They are also 11th in offensive rebounds and 5th in assists.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

Leading up to today’s matchup, the Lakers are one of the NBA’s top offenses, averaging 117.2 points per game (12th).

At home, the Lakers are averaging 118.2 points per game, which is 10th in the league. Overall, they are 12th in scoring at 117.2 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage, the Lakers are 3rd in the NBA at 49%.

Despite being 5th in pace, the Lakers are last in three-point attempts and 28th in three-point makes. So far, they have made 37% of their three-point attempts, which is 13th in the league.

When it comes to two-point shooting, the Lakers are 6th in attempts and makes. In terms of free throws, they are 6th in attempts and 9th in makes.

Nuggets Team Defense

At present, the Nuggets’ defense is ranked 6th, allowing 110.2 points per game. Inside the arc, the Nuggets defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 52.4% and 36.0% from three-point territory.

Lakers Team Defense

On defense, the Lakers are ranked 20th in the NBA this season. So far, they have given up more points than the NBA scoring average in 55.7% of their games. Los Angeles’ defense is currently forcing 13.2 turnovers per game, which is 20th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 10th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.6 rejections per game.

Key Players For The Nuggets And Lakers

In today’s game, our projections have Nikola Jokic leading the Nuggets with 26 points on 10/17 shooting from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 25.8 points per game, along with 12.3 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place LeBron James as the leading scorer for the Lakers. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 24 while also collecting 7 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 52.5% and is averaging 25.3 points per contest.

Nuggets vs Lakers Trends

• Denver has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 112 points per game while allowing 113. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Los Angeles has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 113 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Denver has an ATS mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Los Angeles has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-0.

Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Lakers, with a final score of 132-122, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Lakers at -1.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 228.5, and our model predicts the Nuggets and Lakers to score a combined 254 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.