Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome to our NBA coverage here at Total Apex Sports. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Denver Nuggets(57-25) hosting the Los Angeles Lakers(47-35).
Can the Lakers get over the hump against the defending champions, or will the Nuggets continue their dominance over the Purple and Gold?
Lakers vs. Nuggets Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +7
-110 |
O 226
-110 |
+225 |
| Denver Nuggets | -7
-110 |
U 226
-110 |
-278 |
| **Odds Subject to Change** | |||
Nuggets vs. Lakers Game Details
- Fixture: Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets
- Date and Time: Saturday, April 20, 2024 @ 8:30 PM ET
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Apex Tale of the Tape
|
Denver Nuggets |
vs. |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 57-25 | Record | 47-35 |
| 114.9 | Points Per Game | 118.0 |
| 49.6 | FG% | 49.9 |
| 37.4 | 3PT% | 37.7 |
| 44.4 | Rebounds Per Game | 43.1 |
| 109.6 | Points Allowed Per Game | 117.4 |
| 46.2 | Defensive FG% | 47.4 |
| 35.5 | Defensive 3PT% | 37.6 |
| 77.2 | Defensive FT% | 79.5 |
| 31.4 | Defensive Rebounds Per Game | 33.2 |
| 4-1 | Last 5 W-L | 3-2 |
| 96.8 | Team Pace | 100.9 |
Key Stats
Denver Nuggets
- The Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in their last five outings.
- Denver is just 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games against Western Conference opponents.
- In their last six games as the favorite, the Nuggets are 4-2 against the spread.
Los Angles Lakers
- The Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last five matchups against Denver.
- In the last 11 times the team has played on a Saturday, Los Angeles is 8-3 against the spread.
Injury Report
Denver Nuggets
- Vlatko Cancar — OUT (Knee)
Los Angeles Lakers
- Christian Wood— OUT (Knee)
- Jarred Vanderbilt — OUT (Foot)
- Cam Reddish — OUT (Ankle)
- Jalen Hood-Schifino — OUT (Back)
Game Prediction
Denver opened as a seven-point favorite. The line has recently moved to 7.5 points for the home team (per OddShark).
The home team is 18-18-1 against the spread when it is favored to win by 7.5 points or more. Conversely, The Lakers are 3-1 against the spread this season as an underdog of 7.5 or more points. However, each of the Nuggets’ three wins over the Lakers were by at least eight points. Given that trend, look for the Nuggets to cover here.
The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 223 points (per Pre-Game.com). At the time of this writing, the line has moved up to 226 points (via DraftKings). The total has gone OVER four times in the Lakers’ last five contests. Meanwhile, the OVER total is 8-4 in Denver’s last 12 games.
Additionally, Los Angeles and Denver average a combined 232.9 points per game, which is 6.9 more than the projected 223.5 total. Opponents of both these teams are averaging 227 points per game, which is one point higher than the points total for this matchup.
Taking these trends into consideration, going with the “over” is the smart choice here.
Final Pick
Denver Nuggets -7 (-110) and Over 226 (-110)
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