The Lakers will attempt to win their eighth straight game on the road against the Nuggets. Can Los Angeles stay hot? Here’s the best bet.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
Sunday, February 14, 2021 – 10:00 PM EST at Ball Arena
The Los Angeles Lakers have won seven straight games and will put their streak up against the Nuggets when they travel to Denver. The Nuggets have won back-to-back games finally getting some momentum beyond .500.
As of now, the Lakers should be at full strength but a day of rest could be in the cards for either LeBron James or Anthony Davis. Make sure you follow injury reports and statuses before making a bet on this game.
The Lakers average 113.2 points per game and defend well allowing just 105.2 points per game. They’re scoring 114 points per 100 possessions and have an effective field goal percentage of 55.3 percent. Both of those numbers are top 10 in the NBA.
The Lakers will turn over the basketball at 15 percent and that should remain true against the Nuggets, who have done well forcing turnovers on defense. The Lakers are about average on the offensive glass and at getting to the line but match-up well against the Nuggets in both of those categories.
James averages a team-high 25.6 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists. It’s not quite a triple-double but it’s extremely close. James has still got it.
He’s been getting help from Anthony Davis who is also averaging over 20 points per game at 22.9 points. Davis has chipped in with 8.6 rebounds with two coming on the offensive glass per game.
The Lakers haven’t had the best offense but have been one of the best teams on defense. They’re allowing 105.2 points per 100 possessions and have limited teams to a 51.4 percent effective field goal percentage. They haven’t been a heavy turnover team on defense but should still get their fair share of about 14 percent in this game. The Lakers have also done well on the defensive glass and have limited free throws which has been the real key to their success on defense.
The Nuggets have been the best offensive rebounding team in the country. If the Lakers are able to prevent second chances and limit fouls, the Lakers will run away with it.
The Nuggets average 116.8 points per 100 possessions and have an effective field goal percentage of 55.6 percent. Both rank 6th in the league. What makes the Nuggets offense so special is their ability to get quality looks and if they miss, they’ll offensive rebound 29 percent of the time.
The Nuggets are led by Nikola Jokic who is averaging a near triple-double with 26.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists. Jokic is a monster on the offensive glass bringing down three offensive rebounds per game.
He and Jamal Murray play an average of about 35 minutes each. Murray is scoring 18.3 points per game as the point guard of this team. He’s the second best passer on the team, trailing the big man Jokic in assists.
Denver has a solid offense but their defense has been a bit off this season. Denver is allowing 113 points per 100 possessions and are allowing teams to shoot a 55 percent effective field goal percentage.
The only thing the Nuggets have for them on defense is their ability to force turnovers. The Nuggets are forcing 15.1 percent of turnover and should be able to get turnovers at that same rate against the Lakers.
Prediction
The Nuggets have shown off some impressive offense this season averaging 115.2 points per game. The Nuggets aren’t getting to the line often but they’ve been getting quality looks and keeping turnovers low on offense along with being the top offensive rebounding team in the league. On the flip side, if the Lakers are healthy, their offense is hard to stop as well. They might turn the ball over at times but they’ve shot a top ten effective field goal percentage as well. I’ll take the over here.
NBA Pick: Over 215.5 (-110) at Bet 365
