Lakers News: Odds And Lines As L.A. Tries To Nab First Win Of Season In Denver
At 7 p.m. PT tonight, All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the rest of your 0-3 Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to pick up their first win of the 2022-23 season when they visit reigning two-time MVP center Nikola Jokic and his 2-2 Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Locally, the contest will be broadcast on ESPN and Spectrum SportsNet.
Denver was expected to be a real contender in the Western Conference this season, but has gotten off to an uneven start as it tries to reintegrate starters Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., who missed all but 11 games between them last season, into the starting lineup this season. The team also upgraded along the wing, trading for former Lakers champ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has moved shooting guard Austin Reaves into its starting lineup in the place of injured point guard Russell Westbrook, alongside incumbents Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV in the backcourt, plus James and Davis in the frontcourt.
The on-court product could benefit from some time off from Russ, but it's still going to be an uphill battle for the Lakers to defeat the Nuggets on the road. So to stay invested in the action regardless of who's going to win, let's take a look at some of the betting odds and lines heading into tonight, all via BetOnline.
The Game Spread
As of now, the Nuggets are five-point favorites to win tonight. Prior to the season, I'd have bet against your Lakers to cover. But L.A. has had some close losses thus far (two of three were within six points), and the Nuggets have been struggling to look like world-beaters just yet. Also, losing Westbrook for the game could be addition by subtraction, given how he can adversely affect winning late in games these days. Be bold, take the under!
First Team To Make A Three
The Nuggets' line for this is -124, while the Lakers' is -108. Given that L.A. has only made a league-worst 21.2% of its triples as a team, betting on Denver to get cooking from deep first seems like one of the safer wagers you could make tonight.
As of this writing (per ESPN), Denver's scorching-hot 41.6% three-point percentage ranks it second among all NBA teams. The club currently ranks just 20th in long range attempts per game, however, at 31.3. The Lakers' 39.3 treys a game is sixth-highest in the league at present.
Triple Double Watch
Jokic (+250), James (+550), and Davis (+6500) could all be triple-double threats.
The heavy favorite in this department is of course the best player on the floor tonight (with apologies to LeBron). Jokic is almost averaging a triple-double (20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 9.5 assists) this season. He's hit that mark twice, and barely missed out in his last game, a blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers (he had a 9/9/9 night in 26:58 minutes).
LBJ has yet to notch a triple-double this year, but he's gotten close-ish in all three Lakers losses. He posted a 31-point, 15-rebound, 8-assist line against the Golden State Warriors, a 20-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist night against the Clippers, and a 31-point, 8-rebound, 8-assist night against Portland.
Davis, meanwhile, has only recorded a single double-double yet this year, so expecting a triple-double, especially when matched up against the MVP, feels like too tall a task for the Lakers big man.
Jokic is clearly the play here.
