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Lakers vs Nuggets Series Odds, Spread & Predictions for Western Conference Final
By Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The Los Angeles Lakers face the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals
- Denver bounced the Suns in Round 2, while LA knocked off the defending-champion Warriors
- Find the latest Lakers vs Nuggets series odds, betting discussion and picks below
And then there were two in the West’s NBA playoff bracket.
While the Denver Nuggets took the traditional route to professional hoops’ Final Four, it’s been anything but for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nuggets, behind the play of 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic, raced out to the best record in the NBA, securing the top seed and crushing both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns.
LA, meanwhile, started out 2-10, and are just the fourth team to be that far below .500 and reach the conference finals since the 1970-71 season. They’ve bounced the Memphis Grizzlies and the defending champion Golden State Warriors to get here.
Not surprisingly, oddsmakers are leaning on Denver to advance to the championship final in the early instalment of the NBA odds, pegging them as -150 favourites to win the series.
Lakers vs Nuggets Series Odds
| Team | Odds to Win Series | Series Spread |
|---|---|---|
| [7] Los Angeles Lakers | +125 | +1.5 games (-195) |
| [1] Denver Nuggets | -150 | -1.5 games (+160) |
Game 1 goes Tuesday (May 16) and Thursday (May 18) from Ball Arena in the Mile High City, and can be seen on ESPN.
The scene shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday (May 20) on ABC. Game 4 goes Monday (May 22) and will air on ESPN. All games tip-off at 8:30pm ET.
The current NBA Championship odds have the Nuggets in second at +230. LA, meanwhile is in the third spot at +500 odds.
Odds as of May 12 at DraftKings.
Lakers Dispatch Defending Champs
Los Angeles put an end to what has been a dominant, dynastic run by Golden State. Their 122-101 blowout win in Game 6 Saturday snapped GState’s 19-straight series win streak in the West playoffs.
While it was either James or Davis that led the team in scoring and rebounding in every game of the series, LA’s secret sauce is the depth of their lineup, and the trust the two alphas have in the other guys stepping up.
The clincher was a perfect example: James was a force, going for 30 points, nine boards and nine dimes, while AD finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds. But they had so much help.
LeBron finds Rui on the break 🤝
Lakers lead in Q4!
📺: ESPN | Game 6 pic.twitter.com/p6TiQ7L4U9
— NBA (@NBA) May 13, 2023
Austin Reaves added 23 points, five rebounds and six assists, while D’Angelo Russell had 19 points in 41 minutes. Suddenly-necessary reserve Lonnie Walker IV had 13 points off the bench, just two games after essentially winning Game 4 with a 15-point, out-of-nowhere fourth quarter.
Since a Feb 15, and after a bevy of trade deadline moves that landed them Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Jared Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba, LA is now 26-11 through the playoffs.
Lakers vs Nuggets Head-to-Head Playoff Stats
Los Angeles Lakers
VS
Denver Nuggets
| 111.5 (10th) | Points per Game | 115.8 (T-2nd) |
| 107.8 (6th) | Points Against per Game | 106.6 (5th) |
| 46.8 (2nd) | Rebounds Per Game | 44.4 (7th) |
| 46.6% (6th) | Field Goal Shooting | 48.9% (2nd) |
| 42.6% (1st) | Field Goal Shooting Defense | 47.1% (11th) |
| 31.8% (13th) | 3-Point Shooting | 37.9% (2nd) |
| 34.1% (8th) | 3-Point Shooting Defense | 33.9% (7th) |
Jokic Shreds Suns as Nuggets Advance
With all due respect to new MVP Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic is the best thing going in basketball right now.
Jokic was an absolute menace in a 6-game series waxing of the Phoenix Suns, who happen to employ two of the most devastating scoring tandems in basketball in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Nikola Jokic 30-point Playoff triple-double 🗣️
32 points
10 rebounds
12 assistsNuggets advance to the Western Conference Finals ‼️#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/sYjSopsNHG
— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2023
No matter: Jokic averaged 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists on 59.4% shooting from the field and 44.4% from downtown. He scored at least 29 points in all but one game.
Unlike the Lakers, who’ve patched together a contender, Denver’s strength is continuity, built around a core of Jokic, Jamal Murray (24.8 pts, 4.8 Reb and 6.5 ast in Round 2) and Michael Porter Jr.
Additions like Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Bruce Brown have added real depth, while Aaron Gordon has settled into a steady wing defender and fourth offensive option.
Opening Lakers vs Nuggets Prediction
Forget the regular season head-to-head, as the teams split four games, but haven’t played since January 9.
AD was all-world defensively against GState, but he’ll be put to the test against Jokic, who has every move and shot from the free throw line to the bucket.
LA beat Denver in the bubble in the 2020 West Final, but they also had Dwight Howard to throw at Joker. Unless Bamba is activated, it’s Davis and Hachimura that will have to contend with Jokic. Major advantage Denver.
These teams relentlessly take the ball to the hoop, ranking 1-2 in paint scoring this postseason. The Lakers and Nuggets also both love to get out and run, ranking 2-3 in fast-break points.
The Lakers own the top defensive rating in the playoffs, but we’ll see how they hold up against the best shooting team left standing (48.9%). Denver is also 2nd-best in 3-point shooting at 37.9%.
If experience means anything, this will be James’ 12th trip to the conference finals, and he’s a sparkling 10-1 in his previous 11 trips. Jokic is a beast, and won’t be stopped, but unlike Phoenix, LA might have just enough depth to go toe-to-toe with the big man across seven games.
At +125 odds, the underdog is worth a wager.
Eric Rosales
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
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