Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Picks, Player Props & Odds (Game 1)

• The LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets begin their Round 1 series on Saturday
• The Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1 odds favor the reigning champs to win convincingly
• Read below for Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1 picks, odds and player props

The NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, April 20th with an exciting Western Conference first-round matchup between the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and the second-seeded Denver Nuggets. Game 1 will be broadcast on ABC at 8:30pm ET from Ball Arena in Denver.

The Nuggets enter as 7-point home favorites with the over/under set at 226 points in the NBA Playoff odds. Player props for Lakers vs Nuggets have been released, with Nikola Jokic favored to continue his domiance of Los Angeles.

Let’s get into our Game 1 Lakers vs Nuggets picks and player prop predictions, as we break down the odds.

Game 1 Lakers vs Nuggets Odds

In the Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1 odds, Denver is a -278 moneyline favorite at home, giving them implied win probability. Michael Malone’s team is also -310 in the NBA Round 1 series odds.

The 2024 NBA Championship odds show the Nuggets at +300 to repeat, while the Lakers are +2500 longshots.

This will be the third playoff meeting between the Lakers and Nuggets in the past five years. Denver swept Los Angeles in the 2024 Western Conference Finals en route to their first NBA title.

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Odds as of April 20, 2024, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the best DraftKings sign up promo to bet on Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1.

Injury Report

• Lakers: LeBron James (foot) and Anthony Davis (foot) are both probable. Jarred Vanderbilt (ankle) is questionable.
• Nuggets: Jamal Murray (knee) is probable. Jack White (adductor) is out.

Lakers Betting Analysis

The Lakers needed a 110-106 play-in victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday to secure their playoff spot. LeBron James led the way with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists, nearly notching a triple-double. Anthony Davis added 20 points and 15 boards in the win.

PLAYOFFS CLINCHED 🔒

The @Lakers take down the Pelicans to clinch the #7 seed in the West! pic.twitter.com/1q6gX7PRTg

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 17, 2024

Los Angeles enters the postseason with momentum, having won three straight and 12 of their last 15 games overall. In the 40 games that James and Davis have played together, the Lakers are an impressive 28-12. As long as those two superstars are healthy, Los Angeles has a puncher’s chance against anyone.

The key for the Lakers will be slowing down Jokic and not letting him completely control the game with his scoring and playmaking. The Lakers have struggled mightily against the Nuggets over the past two seasons, losing 11 of the last 13 matchups including eight straight.

Nuggets Betting Analysis

The Nuggets are the defending NBA champions and earned the West’s second seed in the NBA Playoff Bracket. Denver won four of its final five regular-season contests, including a 126-11 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in their regular-season finale.

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic put up another monster campaign, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game. Jamal Murray also played well down the stretch, scoring 20+ points in each of the last four games.

Denver will to use their significant homecourt advantage at elevation to wear down the older Lakers in Game 1. The Nuggets were nearly unbeatable at Ball Arena this season, going 33-8. Jokic is an impossible matchup for any team, but the Nuggets will need Murray and Michael Porter Jr. to be reliable second and third options.

Lakers vs Nuggets Player Props

There is a wide selection of player props available for Saturday’s NBA game, including points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers made over/unders for numerous players. ‘Joker’ has the highest projected point total on the board, at 27.5.

NBA player prop odds as of Apr. 20 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Here are a couple of player props we like for Saturday’s Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1:

D’Angelo Russell Over 15.5 Points

We like targeting LA’s D’Angelo Russell to stay hot after the 28-year-old guard put up 21 points (7-14 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 2-2 FT) in the play-in victory over New Orleans. In his final 10 games of the regular season, he averaged 17 points, 1.5 more than his over/under for this matchup.

Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 Rebounds

Despite the challenge of facing Davis, Jokic, the reigning Finals MVP and likely 2023-24 regular season MVP, is poised to assert his dominance on the glass against the Lakers. In last year’s Western Conference Finals, Jokic averaged 14.5 rebounds per game, surpassing this mark in three out of four contests.

He closed out the regular season strong, averaging 13.9 rebounds over the final eight games and exceeding this threshold six times. In this primetime matchup, expect Jokic to make a statement by surpassing his rebounding prop and solidifying his status as one of the league’s most dominant rebounders.

Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1 Prediction

The Nuggets swept the season series 3-0, but the final two meetings were decided by margins of 10 and eight points. Los Angeles actually had double-digit leads in the fourth quarter of both of those games before faltering down the stretch.

If they can avoid those late-game collapses and knock down open shots, the Lakers can definitely cover as 7-point underdogs on Saturday. I also lean towards the over, as both of these teams ranked in the top-10 in offensive efficiency this season.

LA vs DEN Game 1 Picks:

• Lakers +7 (-110)
• Over 226 (-110)