Is Luka Doncic Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Lakers vs. Nuggets)

UPDATE: Luka Doncic has been RULED OUT on Friday against Denver.

Luka Doncic (calf, ankle) ruled out Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) March 14, 2025

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic did not commit to playing in the second night of a back-to-back on Friday against the Denver Nuggets.

Doncic played in the Lakers' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, but he said, "We'll see" when asked about playing tonight.

Luka Doncic on whether he will play Friday in Denver: “We’ll see. We’ll see on that one”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 14, 2025

The latest betting odds from DraftKings Sportsbook tell us that Doncic won't play in this game. Oddsmakers have set the Lakers as massive 14-point underdogs in this matchup despite the fact that they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in their last meeting by 23 points.

It's also worth noting that the Lakers will be without LeBron James (groin) in this matchup.

Doncic dealt with a calf injury earlier this season, so the Lakers may not want to risk him playing the second night of a back-to-back -- even in an important game. The Lakers are slipping in the Western Conference standings with losses to the Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets.

If Doncic does sit, Austin Reaves could be a player to bet on in the prop market in this matchup.

He has taken on a bigger role in the offense -- as expected -- since LeBron James went down.

Reaves had 17 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in a loss to Brooklyn and followed that up with a 28-point, eight-rebound, three-assist game on Thursday night. He could be a player to bet in a PRA market or simply in a points market on Friday. Reaves had 23 points in the win over Denver last month.

This story will be updated with Doncic's official status for Friday's matchup against the Nuggets.

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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