Nuggets vs. Lakers: NBA Playoffs Game 1 Betting Preview, Tips and Picks – April 20, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) will look to pull off an upset as 6.5-point underdogs in Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, and will face off against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Saturday, starting at 8:30 PM ET. A 224-point over/under is installed for the matchup.
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Nuggets vs. Lakers Betting Odds
| Favorite | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Nuggets | -6.5 | 224 |
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Injury Report as of April 17
Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar: Out (Knee), Aaron Gordon: Questionable (Foot), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Questionable (Shoulder), Reggie Jackson: Questionable (Calf), Nikola Jokic: Questionable (Hip), Jamal Murray: Questionable (Knee), Michael Porter: Questionable (Illness), Zeke Nnaji: Questionable (Adductor)
Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino: Out (Back), Christian Wood: Out (Knee), Jarred Vanderbilt: Out (Foot), Anthony Davis: Questionable (Back), LeBron James: Probable (Ankle)
Nuggets vs. Lakers Stat Rankings
| Nuggets Avg. (Rank) | Lakers Avg. (Rank) | |
|---|---|---|
| 114.9 (14th) | Points Scored | 118.0 (6th) |
| 109.6 (6th) | Points Allowed | 117.4 (23rd) |
| 44.4 (7th) | Rebounds | 43.1 (18th) |
| 10.7 (13th) | Off. Rebounds | 8.2 (30th) |
| 11.7 (25th) | 3pt Made | 11.8 (24th) |
| 29.5 (3rd) | Assists | 28.5 (5th) |
| 11.8 (4th) | Turnovers | 13.4 (19th) |
Best Betting Site for Nuggets vs. Lakers
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Nuggets Key Players
| Name | GP | PTS | REB | ASST | STL | BLK | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | 79 | 26.4 | 12.4 | 9.0 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Jamal Murray | 59 | 21.2 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.5 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | 81 | 16.7 | 7.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.7 |
| Aaron Gordon | 73 | 13.9 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Reggie Jackson | 82 | 10.2 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.2 |
Lakers Key Players
| Name | GP | PTS | REB | ASST | STL | BLK | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 71 | 25.7 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 |
| Anthony Davis | 76 | 24.7 | 12.6 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.4 |
| D’Angelo Russell | 76 | 18.0 | 3.1 | 6.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 3.0 |
| Austin Reaves | 82 | 15.9 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| Rui Hachimura | 68 | 13.6 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
Betting Trends
- The Nuggets have 38 wins in 82 games against the spread this year.
- Denver’s ATS record as 6.5-point favorites or more is 20-19-1.
- The Nuggets have played 82 games this year, and 35 of them have hit the over.
- Denver’s games have had more than 224 points scored on 41 occasions this season.
- Nuggets games average 224.5 total points per game this season, 0.5 points higher than the over/under for this matchup.
- The Lakers have 38 wins in 82 games against the spread this season.
- Against the spread, as a 6.5-point underdog or more, Los Angeles is 3-1.
- This year, 47 of the Lakers’ 82 games have hit the over.
- So far this year, 58 Los Angeles’ games have featured more than 224 points scored.
- This season, Lakers games have resulted in an average scoring total of 235.5, which is 11.5 points higher than the over/under for this matchup.
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