Denver Nuggets at L.A. Lakers Betting Preview
Opening Line: Nuggets +8.5 / Lakers -8.5 O/U 199.5
Time: 10:30 PM EST Friday February 5, 2010 on ESPN
Tonight in Tinsel Town the L.A. Lakers host the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are running away with the Pacific Division with a 8.5 game lead over the Phoenix Suns and are playing well lately coming off a win and going 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Nuggets are still in 1st place in the Northwest Division, but are only a scant 2 games ahead of the Utah Jazz, who have won 7 in a row. Denver is coming off a loss, but is a solid 8-2 in their last 10 games.
This season the Lakers are 24-3 at home and 22-27-1 ATS and the Nuggets are 11-12 on the road and 22-26-1 ATS.
This is a marquee game, but each team may be without their star player, as Denver may be without Carmelo Anthony and L.A. may be without Kobe Bryant. Both are nursing ankle injuries and while Melo will not play Kobe will be a game-time decision.
Chauncey Billups will take Chris Paul's place in the All Star game and he will have to play well tonight, which will not be easy, as he also has a hurt ankle. He will have to get out and run tonight leading the Nuggets' offense, which ranks 4th in the league in scoring (106.8 ppg).
If Kobe can't go they will have to win with their frontcourt of Pau Gasol (17.1 ppg 10.7 rpg) and C Andrew Bynum (15.4 ppg 8.4 ppg). If the Lakers can slow the pace of the game they have a great chance to win, as they have a much better half court game.
Denver's frontcourt of Nene (14 ppg 8 rpg) and Kenyon Martin (12.2 ppg 9.3 rpg) have a tall task tonight, as they have to play well on both ends of the court giving the Nuggets some offense and playing good defense on Gasol and Bynum.
If Kobe can't go Lamar Odom (9.7 ppg) will have to help take up the scoring slack, which he did in the Lakers' last game going for 19 points.
Since Kobe came into the NBA back in 1996 the Lakers have a 21-2 record against the Nuggets.
Denver has a negative rebound differential this season (-0.5 rpg) and they have to play well on the glass tonight and not allow the Lakers to dominate the boards, especially on the offensive end of the court.
Denver is 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 road games, 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning home record, and has an Under record of 6-1 in their last 7 road games.
L.A. is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 home games, 0-3-2 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record, and has an Under record of 10-3 in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record.
Our Selection : The Nuggets were on a roll winning 10 out of 11 games before falling to the Suns in their last game. They were without C. Anthony (27.9 PPG) in that game and his scoring was obviously missed as Denver's 97 points were the second lowest output for them in their last 18 games. The word is that he won't play tonight which won't bode well for the Denver facing an opponent who they embarrased in their earlier meeting handing LA their worst loss of the season (105-79). The linesmaker has opened this game at Lakers -8.5 and we feel confident that Los Angeles will not only win this gave but will get some payback on the Nuggets.Take the Lakers -8.5
Future Betting Odds
NBA Handicapping
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics 5-28
The Magic have won 2 games in a row in this series and look to tie the series tonight, as the Boston Celtics hosts Orlando in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Magic have got back in this series and look to become the first team ever in the NBA to come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Celtics are small 3.5 point favorite at Bodog tonight when they try to close out this series at home.