Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview

Western Conference foes will square off Sunday night as the Denver Nuggets (4-2) take on the Los Angeles Lakers (0-5). The Lakers will host this one at Crypto.com Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 9:30 pm ET.
The Nuggets picked up a win in their last game on Friday, beating the Utah Jazz 117 to 101. In the win, Nah’Shon Hyland led all scorers with 26 points. Michael Porter Jr added a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
For the Lakers, they remain winless after dropping a road game on Friday to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 111-102. LeBron James had a team-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists, but it wasn’t enough for a Lakers team that is struggling to start the season.
The Nuggets open as the favorites in this one despite playing on the road. They are -154 to win, while the Lakers’ moneyline sits at +130. The spread features Los Angeles +2.5 (-105), and the over/under for total points is 220.5.
Nuggets Look To Double Up Lakers Sunday Night
The Denver Nuggets come into this one having won two games in a row. In Wednesday’s win, they took down the Lakers 110 to 99, and they will look to make it two in a row over the Lakers Sunday on the road.
In Wednesday’s win, Nikola Jokic dominated, scoring 31 points, pulling down 13 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. With Anthony Davis questionable for Sunday’s game with a back injury, he could be in store for an even bigger game.
On the season, Jokic is averaging 20.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for a Nuggets’ team that has the fifth-best odds of winning the West at +850. Denver is +2000 to win the NBA championship.
Aside from Jokic, other key contributors for the Nuggets have included Michael Porter Jr (18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds), Aaron Gordon (13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists), Jamaal Murray (12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists), and Nah’Shon Hyland (12 points, 3.7 assists).
Lakers Trying To Dig Out Of Early Hole, Pick Up First Win
To say that this has been one of the most frustrating starts to a season in LeBron James’ career might be an understatement. The team has yet to pick up a win, and the two other superstars on the team have either been injured (Anthony Davis) or have played at a mediocre level (Russell Westbrook).
For Davis, he is questionable for Sunday’s game as he deals with a back injury. Unfortunately for Davis, injuries are not a new thing, as he has not played in more than 62 games in a season since 2017. When healthy, he can dominate, as illustrated by his 24 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in four games this season.
For Westbrook, his game has been littered with inconsistencies this season. In four games, he has averaged just 12.3 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game.
That leaves LeBron James to do most of the heavy lifting. He has averaged 25.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.6 steals, but at 37 years old, he will need more help if the Lakers are to right the ship.
Currently, the Lakers have just the 10th-best odds to win the Western Conference at +3500, and they are +8000 to win it all this year.
Take The Nuggets To Win On The Road
It is just tough to trust the Lakers at this point. Not only are they winless straight up this season, but they are also 0-5 against the spread as well.
Stemming back to last season, they are 1-6 in their last seven at home, and they are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games against Western Conference teams.
For Denver, they are 4-2 both straight up and against the spread in their last six against the Lakers. While they are just 1-5 in their last six road games, they are 4-1 in their last five games overall.
With the Lakers struggling so mightily, take Denver to win this one at -154.