The Denver Nuggets (57-25) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) on Thursday, April 25th. This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and televised on TNT. The Nuggets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lakers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lakers. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Nuggets vs Lakers

Despite the Lakers outscoring the Nuggets in the 2nd quarter 31-20 to take a 52-44 lead into halftime, it was the Nuggets who came out on top in the last game of this series, winning by a score of 101-99. With the Nuggets favored by 7 points, they failed to cover the spread. The game also fell 23.5 points short of the over/under line of 223.5 points.

Anthony Davis and LeBron James had good games for the Lakers, with Davis scoring 32 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and James finishing with 26 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds. Nikola Jokic had a monster game for the Nuggets, finishing with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Nuggets hit just 8 threes on 23.5% shooting from deep.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

Denver comes into the game as the NBA’s 13th ranked scoring offense, at 114.9 points per game. Their scoring average is a little lower on the road, at 111.2 points per game. The Nuggets have been an above-average scoring team at home this year, at 118 points per contest. So far, they have outscored the league average in 48.8% of their games.

Nikola Jokic is averaging 27.4 points per game over his last five games while shooting 67.5% from the field. In these games, he hit 54.5% of his threes. He also averaged 13 rebounds and 8.2 assists in these games. For the season, he is averaging 26.4 points, 9 assists and 12.4 rebounds. Jamal Murray is averaging 21.2 points for the season and 23.6 in his last five games. In his last five games, he hit 3.2 threes per game on a shooting percentage of 42.1%.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

Los Angeles comes into the game as the 6th ranked scoring offense, at 118 points per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 119 points per contest. One of the reasons for their success is that they have hit 49% of their shots from the field, which is the 3rd best mark in the league. The Lakers are also a top 5 team in true shooting percentage.

LeBron James has averaged 28.2 points, 10.2 assists, and 8.6 rebounds over his last five games. In that stretch, he hit 40% of his threes. Anthony Davis has averaged 30 points and 13 rebounds in his last five games. Davis is probable with a back injury, and James is probable with an ankle injury. D’Angelo Russell is questionable with a quad injury, and he is averaging 3.6 made threes per game over his last five games.

Nuggets Team Defense

So far this season, the Denver Nuggets have been one of the best defensive teams in the league, ranking 6th in points allowed per game at 109.4. They have been even better on the road, where they are giving up just 110.5 points per contest (5th). Over their last five games, they have been even stingier, allowing just 108.2 points per game (11th).

One area where the Nuggets have excelled defensively is against the three-point shot. On the season, they are 2nd in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 35.4%. In terms of made threes allowed per game, they are also 2nd at 11.2.

Overall, opponents have scored less than their season average in 74.4% of games against the Nuggets. In terms of rebounding, Denver is 7th in the league, including 9th in defensive rebounds per game. They are also 10th in blocked shots per game.

Lakers Team Defense

When playing at home this season, the Lakers’ defense has allowed 114.6 points per game, which is 18th in the league. Overall, they are 23rd in the NBA in points allowed per game at 117.1.

One area where the Lakers’ defense has been strong is in terms of defensive rebounds, as they are 2nd in the league in that category. They are also 11th in blocked shots per game.

Over their last five games, the Lakers’ defense has been 15th in the league in points allowed at 109.8 per game. During that stretch, opposing teams have shot 45.9% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range.

Key Players For The Nuggets And Lakers

In today’s game, we anticipate Nikola Jokic leading the scoring for the Nuggets, contributing 27 points while shooting 11/18 from the field. This season, he is averaging 26.4 points per game along with 12.4 boards.

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 26 while also collecting 7 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 54% and is averaging 25.7 points per contest.

Nuggets vs Lakers Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Nuggets have a straight up record of 7-3 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 113 points per game in this stretch.
• In their last five home games, Los Angeles has averaged 111 points per game while allowing 109. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Nuggets have a strong record vs the spread going 3-2. Their straight up mark in these contests is 2-3.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Lakers have a straight up record of 3-0, while going 1-2 against the spread.

Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Lakers to win, and have the projected score sitting at 120-115. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Lakers at -1.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 215, and our model predicts the Nuggets and Lakers to score a combined 235 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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

* 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.