Thursday evening’s NBA betting slate is headlined by a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets will look to exact a modest degree of revenge when they visit the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA odds and expert Nuggets vs Lakers prediction analysts still view the champs as the betting favorites.
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Nuggets vs Lakers Game Info
Denver Nuggets (12-8, 7-3 Away) at Los Angeles Lakers (16-6, 4-4 Home)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021
Venue: STAPLES Center — Los Angeles, CA
Start Time: 10 p.m. EST
TV: TNT
Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook
Moneyline: DEN: (+175) | LAL: (-210)
Spread: DEN: +5 (-110) | LAL: -5 (-110)
Total: 216.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Betting Overview
Nuggets Outlook
After a slow start to the season, the Nuggets have been rounding into form in recent weeks. They enter Thursday night’s NBA betting showcase having won six of their last seven games. In their most recent outing last Sunday, Denver ended the Utah Jazz’ lengthy win streak with a dominant home win. The four-day break in between games was the result of Monday’s contest against the Detroit Pistons being postponed. Fortunately for the Nuggets, the virus issues were on the Pistons side of the equation.
If Nikola Jokic has a performance anything close to the line of 47 points, 12 rebounds and five assists he posted against Utah, one has to like Denver’s chances tonight as NBA betting underdogs. The ever-changing rotation between Michael Porter Jr. and Will Barton is something to watch tonight. Porter has clearly been in the dog house of head coach Michael Malon ever since a lengthy virus absence. Despite playing reduced minutes, he has still been producing since making his return.
Nuggets Injury Report
- Out: Gary Harris (thigh), P.J. Dozier (hamstring)
Lakers Outlook
Tonight marks the return of the Lakers to L.A. following a seven-game east coast road trip. NBA betting favorites on a near-nightly basis, Los Angeles won five of those seven games, including the final two over the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. LeBron James won’t have to worry about any heckling from the home fans at STAPLES Center like what he received from fans in Atlanta Monday night. Oh wait, people can’t even go to games in California.
Heckling aside, James has been dominant through the first month and a half of the season. The NBA betting futures odds to win MVP have shifted to favor the 36-year-old as a result. He nearly registered a triple-double against the Hawks on Monday and was joined in double figures scoring by Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and two of the Lakers’ offseason acquisitions, Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder. Defense was key to the Lakers’ championship run last season, and they once again have the top scoring defense in the NBA to date.
Lakers Injury Report
- Out: Kostas Antetokounmpo (knee), Jared Dudley (calf)
- Probable: LeBron James (ankle), Anthony Davis (quad)
Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Betting Trends
- Nuggets 2020-21 Betting Trends: 13-8 ATS; 15-5 to the Over
- Lakers 2020-21 Betting Trends: 9-13 ATS; 6-16 to the Over
- The Nuggets are just 2-4 SU and ATS as an underdog this season.
- The Lakers are just 3-5 ATS at home this season.
- Not counting last year’s playoff series in the NBA bubble, road teams have won each of the last four Nuggets vs Lakers games both SU and ATS.
Nuggets vs Lakers Statistics
- Denver is averaging 116.6 points per game (PPG) this season (No. 3 in the NBA)
- Denver is surrendering 111.7 PPG on the season (No. 16 in the NBA)
- Los Angeles is averaging 111.8 PPG this season (Tied for No. 14 in the NBA)
- Los Angeles is surrendering 104.0 PPG (No. 1 in the NBA)
Nuggets vs Lakers Prop Bet
Will Barton Total Points: Under 12.5 (-125 at Bovada Sportsbook)
Mindful NBA betting practice naturally finds it difficult to bet many player scoring props to the Over when going up against the league’s top-scoring defense. That’s exactly where I find myself with all Nuggets players tonight, with Will Barton’s NBA odds of 12.5 points standing out in particular. One has to believe Michael Porter Jr. will reclaim his lost minutes from Barton at some point. Perhaps that starts tonight.
Barton may have put up 18 points in 37 minutes against the Jazz on Sunday, but he scored no more than 10 in each of the Nuggets’ four games prior. Barton is also only averaging 11.1 points per game on the season. I’ll stick to the numbers and play the Under for his total points in tonight’s game.
