A fantastic set of games is capped off by the Nuggets' home
date with Kobe and the Lakers. See who we're adding to our NBA betting ticket. We're
in for a treat tonight as two of the conference's elite match up with one
another at the Pepsi Center.
Sportsbooks opened with the Nuggets favored by
3.5 points and there's been slight movement as they’re now 4-point chalk on the
NBA odds board. The total has settled at 196 after opening at 197.5.
Denver has firmly established themselves as a top contender
in the league this season, marching out to a 15-7 SU record. They have an
identical 15-7 mark against the spread too.
The Nuggets ended a short two-game losing streak with an
impressive 112-91 win over Chris Paul and the Clippers last night. In doing so
they avenged a four-point loss at home earlier in the week.
Nuggets remain a favorite in the West
Five different Denver players scored in double digits with
the game being putting to rest after the third quarter. Danilo Gallinari led
the way with a game-high 21 points (7-of-10 FG) to go along with six boards and
four assists, while Ty Lawson accounted for 18 points, six dimes and four
rebounds in what was his best performance since returning from injury.
Now the Nuggets will try to make it a sweep of Los Angeles
teams.
The Lakers, after losing three straight, have now won three
of their last four. They smashed the Bobcats by 33 points in their latest
matchup to easily cover the 12.5-point spread.
Kobe had 24 points, Andrew Bynum went for 20 and 10 rebounds
and Pau Gasol, Troy Murphy, Andrew Goudelock and Matt Barnes all scored in
double figures as well in the romp.
As for my play, I have a slight lean to the Nuggets as the
Lakers have been dreadful (2-7 SU, 2-7 ATS) on the road this season. Moreover,
Denver has gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games when playing on no days rest.
Still, I have a better feeling about the OVER in this NBA betting matchup. It's a trend that's cashed in four of the Lakers'
past five games.
Denver continues to put up ridiculous numbers offensively;
they're averaging 106.4 PPG over their last five while shooting close to 50
percent from the floor. The Nuggets are also tops in the NBA in PACE, a stat
which factors in the number of possessions a team uses per game, and while the
Lakers are much more of a half-court team, they still rank in the top half of
the league in offensive efficiency.
Looking for a higher tempo tonight
Though the UNDER has hit in four straight meetings between
these teams, I believe this encounter will feature much better execution on the
offensive end.
The Lakers may have trouble keeping up with the flow of the
game but they have the clear advantage inside with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum,
which should leave to a number of offensive boards and easy putbacks. And you
know Kobe is always going to get his points no matter what.
Taking all of that into consideration, I'm picking the OVER
to hit in my NBA picks tonight.
FREE Pick: OVER 196
TREND BREAKDOWN
Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 2-9
ATS in previous 11 road games
Nuggets are 15-7-2 ATS in their last 24 home games dating
back to last season
Nuggets are 7-1-1 ATS in last nine head-to-head meetings
Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to Denver
UNDER is 4-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings at Pepsi
Center