The Denver Nuggets (57-25) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) on Saturday, April 27th. This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and televised on ABC. 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 8:30 ET.

Nuggets vs Lakers

Despite being 1.5-point underdogs going into the game, the Nuggets pulled off the upset, beating the Lakers 112-105. Denver was down by eight heading into the 4th quarter but outscored the Lakers 29-30 in the 4th. The game finished just short of the over/under line of 217.5 points.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 33 points and 15 rebounds, while LeBron James added 26. On the other side, Aaron Gordon had a big game for the Nuggets, scoring 29 points and grabbing 15 boards. Nikola Jokic also had a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

Denver comes into the game as the NBA’s 13th-ranked scoring offense, at 114.9 points per game. Their production has been better at home this year, at 118 points per game, compared to 111.2 on the road. In terms of field goal percentage, the Nuggets are 4th in the league, hitting 49% of their shots.

Nikola Jokic is averaging 24 points per game this season to go along with 26.4 points per game. He is also averaging 8.6 assists and 13.8 rebounds in his last five games. Jamal Murray has also been averaging 24 points per game over his last five games and 2.6 made threes. For the season, he has hit 42.5% of his threes.

Lakers Offense Breakdown

The Lakers’ offense is averaging 118 points per game this season, which is 7th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 118.7 points per contest. Los Angeles is 4th in pace, averaging 101.2 possessions per game. Despite being near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts, the Lakers are 9th in three-point shooting percentage, at 37%.

LeBron James is averaging 26 points per game over his last five games on 50.5% shooting. In that stretch, he also averaged 11 assists. Anthony Davis has averaged 29.4 points per game in his last five games, while hitting 60.2% of his shots from the field. Davis’ three-point shooting percentage for the season is just 27.1%.

Nuggets Team Defense

On the defensive side of the ball, the Nuggets have been one of the best units in the league this season, ranking 6th in points allowed per game at 109.3. This is also the 5th best mark in the NBA on the road, where they are giving up 110.3 points per contest.

Denver has done an excellent job of contesting shots, ranking 7th in field goal percentage allowed at 46.4%. They have also been one of the top three-point defenses in the league, allowing opponents to shoot just 35.2% from beyond the arc.

Over their last five games, the Nuggets have continued to play strong defense, holding opponents to just 107.8 points per game. During this stretch, they have been especially good at defending the three-point line, ranking 8th in three-point percentage allowed at 31.8%.

Lakers Team Defense

So far this season, the Lakers’ defense has been below average, ranking 23rd in the NBA at 117.0 points per game. At home, they have been slightly better, ranking 18th at 114.5 points per game allowed.

One area where the Lakers’ defense has excelled is on the glass, ranking 2nd in the league in defensive rebounds. However, they have struggled to force turnovers, ranking just 20th in steals per game.

When it comes to defending the three-point line, the Lakers have struggled, ranking 28th in both three-pointers made per game allowed and three-point shooting percentage allowed. Opponents have attempted an average of 37.7 threes per game against the Lakers.

Key Players For The Nuggets And Lakers

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Nikola Jokic as the primary point contributor for the Nuggets, finishing with 27 points while maintaining a 10/18 shooting accuracy. For the season, he has been averaging 26.4 points per game, in addition to 12.4 rebounds.

As for Los Angeles, LeBron James is projected to be the primary scorer for the Lakers. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 26, and adding 7 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 54%, and he is contributing 25.7 points per game on average.

Nuggets vs Lakers Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Denver has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 119 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• Through their last ten home games, Los Angeles has an ATS record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 115 points per game.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Los Angeles has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 5-5 straight up.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Nuggets have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.

Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +3.5, the Lakers is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 218.5, and our model projects the Nuggets and Lakers to reach a combined total of 233 points. Our bet is on taking 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.