The Los Angeles Lakers (37-24) and Denver Nuggets (38-24) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. The game will broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video.
The Nuggets are 5.5-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread (Nuggets -5.5), with the over/under set at 240.5 total points. Denver is a -200 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +165 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Lakers vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, March 5.
Lakers vs Nuggets Prediction, Picks
- Lakers vs Nuggets pick: Jamal Murray Over 25.5 Points (-115)
My Nuggets vs. Lakers best bet is on Jamal Murray to score over 25.5 points in tonight's game. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Lakers vs Nuggets Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -115 | 240.5 -110o / -110u | +165 |
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -105 | 240.5 -110o / -110u | -200 |
Lakers vs Nuggets NBA Preview
Heading into their previous matchup against New Orleans, the Lakers had won nine straight meetings.
Maybe they got more than they bargained for, but they trailed by eight points in the fourth quarter. However, having Luka Doncic and LeBron James usually pays dividends in these situations.
The Lakers closed the game on a 24-7 run and improved to 17-5 in clutch time games.
Doncic had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, while James had 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Now, the Lakers head to Denver on a three-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets fell at home to the Timberwolves 117-108 on Sunday afternoon.
It might have felt like a loss on Monday, but they survived with a 128-125 victory over the tanking Jazz.
Jamal Murray went off for 45 points, his fourth 40-point game of the season, and also added eight assists.
With the Nuggets back home tonight, this sets up a key matchup in the West.
The Nuggets have a half-game lead over the Lakers for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Both teams are within 1.5 games of the Rockets for the third seed.
Last season, the teams split four meetings, and the Lakers won the first matchup this season in January.
That has to be considered a win for them, considering the Nuggets have had their number in the playoffs over the past couple of years.
The Lakers rank 10th in offensive rating, and the Nuggets lead the league.
This has oddsmakers expecting a high-scoring game with the total over 240 points. However, the Under has hit in seven of the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
Lakers vs Nuggets Predictions, Betting Analysis
Jamal Murray Over 25.5 Points
One player who has been a thorn in the Lakers side over the years is Murray.
He has scored at least 20 points in 10 of the last 12 meetings. That includes 32, 26, and 28 in three of the last five meetings.
He enters this game on a hot streak with 39, 25, and 45 points in his last three games.
I expect that to continue tonight against a team he has regularly torched, with the Lakers being 22nd in defensive rating.
Nikola Jokic 40+ Points & Rebounds
Nikola Jokic has averaged 27.5 points and 13.6 rebounds over his last 11 games against the Lakers.
He has combined for 40 points & rebounds in seven of those games, and six of his last 10 games overall.
Luka Doncic 30+ Points
While Jokic is good buddies with Doncic, that hasn’t stopped Doncic from going off on the Nuggets.
Between his time with the Mavericks and Lakers, Doncic has averaged 33.5 points in his last seven games against Denver.
LeBron James 18+ Points
Meanwhile, James has averaged 20.6 points over his last 10 games.
He has scored at least 18 points in each of his last 11 games against Denver, averaging 24.8 points in that span.
Lakers vs Nuggets Best Bet
- Jamal Murray Over 25.5 Points (-115)
Lakers vs Nuggets Parlay Picks
- Nikola Jokic 40+ Points & Rebounds
- Luka Doncic 30+ Points
- Jamal Murray 25+ Points
- LeBron James 18+ Points
Parlay Payout: +525
Spread
I'm staying away from the spread in tonight's matchup.
Moneyline
No play on the moneyline as well.
Over/Under
My Lakers vs. Nuggets betting prediction is on Jamal Murray Over 25.5 Points.
