The Denver Nuggets (12-9) welcome the Los Angeles Lakers (8-13) to Pepsi Center as they attempt to extend their six-game home winning streak. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 2, 2017, and will air on Altitude Sports & Entertainmnt.
Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets ATS Prediction
In the Lakers’ last contest, they were topped by the Golden State Warriors, 127-123. Golden State won the rebounding battle. The Warriors had more offensive rebounds (12 vs. seven), defensive rebounds (37 vs. 27) and total rebounds (49 vs. 34). Brandon Ingram was the game’s high scorer with 32 points on 12-for-21 shooting.
The Nuggets won a close one over the Chicago Bulls in their last contest, 111-110. One of Denver’s biggest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They had 31 free throw attempts, while Chicago had 21. Will Barton was the game’s high scorer with 37 points on 13-for-19 shooting.
The offensive glass should be a huge edge for Denver in this contest. The Nuggets rank first in offensive rebounding percentage (27.7 percent), while Los Angeles ranks 15th in defensive rebounding percentage (77.5 percent). Furthermore, the Lakers, who rank 22nd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.189), will square off against the Nuggets, who rank second in opponents’ FTA rate (0.158).
Los Angeles heads into the contest with records of 8-13 straight up (SU) and 10-11 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the O/U total of Lakers games, with 11 overs compared to 10 unders.
Meanwhile, Denver is 12-9 SU and 8-13 ATS. Vegas has a tendency to place the total high when the Nuggets are involved, as 12 of their 21 games have ended under the projected point total.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (19.6 points and 2.4 steals) has been fantastic for the Lakers while Gary Harris (17.2 points and 2.2 steals) has contributed greatly to the Nuggets.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Lonzo Ball notched a triple-double. He had 11 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists and the Lakers, who were 5-point underdogs, defeated the Nuggets 127-109. The game finished with a total of 236 points, which was 13 points above the projected point total of 223 points. The Lakers’ 12.3 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over the Nuggets, who had a rate of 17.4.
Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Lakers, ATS Winner – Lakers, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Los Angeles is 3-6 ATS with 5 unders and 4 overs.
At home, Denver is 6-5 ATS with 6 unders and 5 overs.
When holding opponents below 100 points, Denver is 5-1 and Los Angeles is 4-2.
The Nuggets are 10-4 when they reach 100 points, while the Lakers are 8-7.
Denver ranks first in second chance points per game (16.2) while Los Angeles ranks 25th in second chance points allowed per game (13.6).
The Nuggets rank fourth in rebounds allowed per game (41.0) while the Lakers rank 25th (46.4).
Denver averages 48.7 points in the paint per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA. Los Angeles ranks 24th in points allowed in the paint per game (48.9).
The Nuggets rank third in fast break points per game (14.7) while the Lakers rank 20th in fast break points allowed per game (11.8).
Los Angeles ranks ninth in steals per game (8.3) while Denver ranks 25th in steals allowed per game (8.9).
The Lakers rank third in blocks per game (5.9) while the Nuggets rank 17th (4.5).
Denver averages 18.0 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 13th in the NBA. Los Angeles ranks 27th in points off turnovers allowed per game (19.2).
The Lakers average 23.1 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the league. The Nuggets rank 24th in assists allowed per game (24.6).
Denver averages 29.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 15th in the NBA. Los Angeles ranks 18th in three pointers allowed per game (29.5).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Los Angeles is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Denver is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Lakers have outscored opponents by an average of 1.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Los Angeles has lost by an average of 2.1 points.
During their last five games, the Nuggets have scored an average of 100.2 points per game (6.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 106.2 points per game (0.4 below their season average).
