Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Game 2 Predictions, Odds & Props (April 22)

• The Lakers try to avoid falling in an 0-2 hole when they visit the Nuggets in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series on Monday
• The Nuggets overcame a double-digit first-half deficit to win Game 1 (114-103)
• See the Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets odds, predictions, and player props for Game 2 on April 22nd

While cruising to the Western Conference title last season, the Denver Nuggets (58-25, 34-8 home, ATS) went a perfect 8-0 on their home court. Their quest to repeat as NBA champions started on a similar note on Saturday as the Nuggets won and covered against the Los Angeles Lakers (114-103 as seven-point favorites) to take an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.

Game 2 is scheduled for 7:10 pm ET at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday night, and oddsmakers have moved the line incrementally, listing Denver as 7.5-point chalk in the Lakers vs Nuggets Game 2 odds.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Odds (Game 2)

Denver’s moneyline price has moved from -278 ahead of Game 1 to -303 ahead of Game 2, while the Lakers, +225 underdogs on Saturday, are now +240 underdogs to even the series at one game apiece. The game total has come down from 226 to just 223.5.

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Odds as of April 22 at BetMGM. Claim the BetMGM sign up promo before wagering on Lakers/Nuggets Game 2 on Monday night. 

The winner of the Lakers/Nuggets series will move on in the NBA playoff bracket to face the winner of the Phoenix Suns/Minnesota Timberwolves series, which the T-Wolves lead 1-0.

Nuggets Stay Perfect Against Lakers This Season

Nikola Jokic (26.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 9.0 APG) had a game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assist for Denver on Saturday, while Jamal Murray (21.2 PPG, 6.5 APG) added 22 points and 10 assists for his first double-double since March 19.

Denver’s Game 1 victory was just its latest dominant win in what has become a very  lopsided rivalry with LeBron James and the Lakers. The Nuggets won all three regular-season meetings with an average margin of victory of 10 points per game. Denver also swept the Lakers in last year’s Western Conference Finals (though three of the four games were decided by six points or fewer) and have won nine in a row against the Lakers, overall.

Anthony Davis (32 points, 14 rebounds, five assists) and James (27 points, eight assists, six rebounds) were both solid for LA in Game 1, shooting 56.4% from the floor combined, but the Lakers were -9 on the glass and grabbed just six offensive rebounds in 48 minutes. LA’s on-ball defending was also anemic. The Nuggets dished out 27 assists while committing just four turnovers the entire game.

Lakers vs Nuggets Player Props

NBA player prop odds as of Apr. 22 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Jokic (28.5 O/U) has the highest point total again in Game 2, which he will for every game in the series barring injury. James leads the Lakers at 25.5 O/U with Davis just behind at 24.5. Jokic and AD both have rebound totals of 12.5 for Game 2.

Lakers vs Nuggets Game 2 Prediction

The Nuggets are proving to be LeBron’s kryptonite and, as Game 1 showed, even when the Laker stars show up, they just don’t have the supporting cast to truly contend with the Nuggets over the long haul.   That doesn’t mean LA can’t make this a series, but I’m fading them on the road in Game 2. They gave the Nuggets their best punch in the first half of Game 1 and still wound up losing by double-digits.

LAL vs DEN Game 2 picks:

• Nuggets – 6.5 (-120) at FanDuel
• LeBron James under 25.5 points (-115)