The Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers square off for the final time in the regular season on Monday night. The Lakers have not played all that well in the NBA “bubble.” They were able to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference for the upcoming NBA playoffs, but they have dropped three in a row, including a loss to Indiana on Saturday. The Nuggets are in third in the West but could catch the Clippers, as they are just a game back. It’s hard to figure out how motivated the Lakers are, given that they have clinched the top seed, but the Nuggets have plenty to play for on Monday night.
Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this showdown between West contenders.
NBA Betting: Denver Nuggets vs L.A. Lakers (August 10)
When: Friday, August 7, 2020, 9:00 pm ET
Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando
TV: ESPN
Radio: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM Denver / KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles
Live Stream: fuboTV
NBA Odds: Denver +4.5 / O/U 212.5 | Check the Game Odds
Why should you Bet on Denver?
If you want to bet on Denver there things to consider like in last night’s game when Denver was trailing Utah at halftime of their game on Saturday by 14 points; however, they came all the way back to force overtime and ended up winning after two extra frames, 134-132. Guard Jamal Murray was finally in the Denver lineup after missing the previous games in the bubble, and he nailed both the tying shot and the game-winner. Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 35 points, including a three-ball with 4.2 seconds left in the second overtime period. He almost won the game at the end of regulation, but his halfcourt shot glanced off the rim.
Murray had been out for four games due to hamstring tightness, but he ended up playing 39 minutes of the 58 m minutes of the game. He also had a dozen rebounds and eight assists to go along with 23 points. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 30 points and pulled down 11 boards, dishing out seven assists. Michael Porter Jr had 23 points and 11 rebounds. This win gave the Nuggets a two-game lead on Houston and a three-game lead on Oklahoma City at that point. If you like Denver, you see them having more to play for than the Lakers right now.
Why should you Put Your Money on the Lakers?
If thinking of putting money on the the Lakers, just remember they have dropped three in a row, and in their loss to Indiana, they had LeBron James back in the lineup. He had missed their previous game, a loss to Houston, with a sore right groin. He did put in 31 points, pull down eight boards and hand out seven assists. However, the Lakers could not stop T.J. Warren, who scored 39 points and leads the NBA in scoring during the “bubble” games.
Anthony Davis had an off night for the Lakers, going just 3 for 14 for eight points, leading the Lakers to their first loss in 2019-20 when LeBron had at least 30 points. Quin Cook did chip in 21 points, going 5 for 9 from downtown, and Dwight Howard put up a double-double with 10 points and a dozen boards, but LeBron was the lone starter to get double figures in points. If you like the Lakers, you see them looking to up their game going into the postseason.
Final Score and Prediction
It’s hard to figure the Lakers out. From a talent perspective, they should be running teams out of the gym every night. However, they don’t have the same motivation that their opponents do right now, because they’ve clinched that top seed.
So given that Denver has so much more to play for right now — and given how well they’re playing — I predict a final score of Denver 119, Los Angeles 116.
Denver vs Lakers | Check the Odds
