Lakers vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, Jan. 20

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers picked up a much-needed win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, and they’ll look to gain a game on a key team in the Western Conference on Tuesday night when they face the Denver Nuggets.

Denver is surviving without Nikola Jokic (knee), going 7-4 so far this season, and it remains in the top three in the Western Conference standings. Jamal Murray and company are set as home underdogs in this matchup, although Denver has Murray, Gordon and Tim Hardaway Jr. listed as probable on the injury report.

The Lakers are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, and their clutch-game record (13-1) has really propped them up this season. L.A. is 17th in the NBA in net rating, which is ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and behind the Charlotte Hornets, who have just 16 wins this season.

So, can L.A. compete with a short-handed Denver team that has proven that it’s one of the best in the West when Jokic is on the floor?

Here’s a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for Tuesday night’s Western Conference showdown.

Lakers vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Lakers -2.5 (-110)
Nuggets +2.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Lakers: -148
Nuggets: +124

Total

228.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Lakers vs. Nuggets How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 20
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena
How to Watch (TV): NBC/Peacock
Lakers record: 25-16
Nuggets record: 29-14

Lakers vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

Lakers Injury Report

Austin Reaves – out
Adou Thiero – out

Nuggets Injury Report

Nikola Jokic – out
Christian Braun – out
Cameron Johnson – out
Jonas Valanciunas – out
Tamar Bates – out
Curtis Jones – out
Aaron Gordon – probable
Jamal Murray – probable
Tim Hardaway Jr. – probable

Lakers vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

Luka Doncic UNDER 6.5 Rebounds (+102)

A little plus money prop? In today’s best NBA props column for SI Betting, I broke down why Doncic is worth fading as a rebounder:

Even though Luka Doncic is averaging over seven rebounds per game this season, he's seen that number fall off in recent weeks.

The Los Angeles Lakers guard is averaging just 5.7 rebounds per game since Christmas Day, and he's seen his season-long number for rebound chances fall to just 11.7 per game.

That gives him a lot less wiggle room when it comes to this prop, especially since the Denver Nuggets are one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA. Denver ranks in the top 10 in opponent rebounds per game.

Since Christmas, Doncic only has four games (out of 12) with seven or more boards.

Lakers vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m taking the Nuggets to cover as home underdogs:

I’m not buying the Lakers as road favorites on Tuesday, as they’ve struggled as of late, ranking 24th in net rating and 25th in defensive rating over their last 15 games, going 6-9 straight up during that stretch.

For the entire 2025-26 campaign, L.A. has benefitted from winning a bunch of close games, and the fact that it’s just 17th in the league in net rating shows that it has played a little better than the numbers suggest.

Denver, on the other hand, has remained in the mix atop the Western Conference with Nikola Jokic out, going 6-4 straight up in its last 10 games. The Nuggets are just 2-2 against the spread as home underdogs, but with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon expected to play tonight, Denver should be able to hang around with a struggling Lakers defense.

Los Angeles is 5-5 against the spread when favored on the road, but it has an average scoring margin of +0.4 points per game in those matchups. So, even if the Lakers win this one, it may come down to the wire.

I’ll take the points with the Nuggets, who have outplayed the Lakers over the last few weeks even though they’ve been down the three-time league MVP.

Pick: Nuggets +2.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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