NEWSLETTER
The Denver Nuggets are 6.5-point favorites heading into a decisive Game 5 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena on Monday, starting at 10:00 PM ET on TNT. The Nuggets have a 3-1 series lead. The point total is 217 in the matchup.
Nuggets vs. Lakers Odds
How to Bet on Nuggets vs. Lakers
Game Time and Information
Who Will Win Nuggets vs. Lakers?
Nuggets and Lakers Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread
The Nuggets have a 20-19-1 record against the spread in games they were favored by 6.5 points or more this season.
The Lakers have a 3-1 record against the spread when an underdog by 6.5 points or more this season.
The Nuggets and Lakers average 15.9 more points between them than the total of 217 for this game.
Opponents of the two teams average a combined 10 more points per game (227) than this matchup’s total of 217 points.
The Nuggets’ average point total in outings this season is 224.5, 7.5 points higher than the total in this game.
Los Angeles’ games this season have averaged an over/under of 235.5 points, 18.5 more than the point total in this matchup.
Denver has a 38-42-2 record against the spread this season.
The Lakers have a 38-44-0 record against the spread this season.
Nuggets Stats & Insights
The Nuggets outscore opponents by 5.3 points per game (scoring 114.9 points per game to rank 14th in the league while allowing 109.6 per contest to rank sixth in the NBA) and have a +431 scoring differential overall.
The Nuggets rank seventh in the NBA at 44.4 rebounds per game. That’s 2.1 more than the 42.3 their opponents average.
Denver makes 11.7 three-pointers per game (25th in the league) at a 37.4% rate (ninth-best in the NBA), compared to the 11.2 its opponents make while shooting 35.5% from deep.
The Nuggets score 119.4 points per 100 possessions (fifth in the league), while giving up 113.9 points per 100 possessions (eighth in the NBA).
The Nuggets have scored at a much higher clip in home games than away from home in the 2023-24 season (118.5 at home versus 111.2 on the road), though they have given up fewer points at home than away from home (108.7 opponent points per home game versus 110.5 on the road).
Lakers Stats & Insights
The Lakers have a +49 scoring differential, putting up 118 points per game (sixth in league) and conceding 117.4 (23rd in NBA).
Los Angeles is 18th in the NBA at 43.1 rebounds per game. That’s similar to the 44 its opponents average.
The Lakers hit 11.8 three-pointers per game (24th in the league), 2.5 fewer than their opponents.
The Lakers average 116.7 points per 100 possessions (15th in league), while conceding 116.1 points per 100 possessions (16th in NBA).
At home, Los Angeles averages 119.0 points per game. Away, it scores 117.0.
Nuggets Key Players to Watch
Nikola Jokic puts up 26.4 points and 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game.
Michael Porter Jr. leads active Nuggets in three-point shooting, knocking down an average of 2.7 shots per game from beyond the arc.
Jokic averages 1.4 steals per game, while Peyton Watson has 1.1 blocks per contest.
Lakers Key Players to Watch
Anthony Davis has the top Lakers spot in two categories among active players: scoring (24.7 points per game) and rebounding (12.6 rebounds per game). He also dishes out 3.5 assists per contest.
LeBron James has per-game averages of 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds this season.
D’Angelo Russell averages 3.0 made threes per game.
The Lakers’ defensive effort gets a lift from Davis (1.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per game).
Nuggets vs. Lakers Prediction
Over (217)
Nuggets 119 – Lakers 111
