Previewing Sunday’s Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers (24-5) host the third-place Denver Nuggets (19-8) Sunday at Staples Center for a 9:30 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Nuggets-Lakers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Nuggets at Lakers: Key injuries
Nuggets
C Bol Bol (foot) out
PF Paul Millsap (knee) questionable
Lakers
C DeMarcus Cousins (knee) out
PF Anthony Davis (ankle) probable
SF LeBron James (core) doubtful
PF Kyle Kuzma (ankle) probable
Nuggets at Lakers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 1 p.m. ET.
The Lakers (-167) remain home favorites after losing back-to-back games for the first time all season. The NUGGETS (+140) are a great value play with plus-money amid a five-game winning streak. Neither team is at full health, but it’s the Lakers being hit harder with each of their top-three scorers battling some form of injury.
Bettors will want to see Millsap cleared before going too heavily on the Nuggets, but they’re worth at least a small wager at +140. A $10 bet for Denver to upset LA and win outright would return a profit of $14.
The moneyline is a better play for those backing the Nuggets (+3.5, -115) in what’s projected as a one-possession game. The Lakers (-3.5, -106) are 16-13 ATS overall and 8-4 ATS at home, while the Nuggets are 11-13-3 ATS overall and 4-5-2 ATS on the road. The more profitable play is on the true upset, and that’s where my money will be going Sunday. PASS.
Take the OVER 209.5 (+105). Even with impactful injuries on both sides, this total is low. The two teams combine to score 219.5 points per game and allow 205.8 PPG. It’s tough to see either team being held below 100 points.
Esten’s NBA betting record: 110-77
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Los Angeles Lakers could certainly use a boost from Kyle Kuzma tonight against Denver Nuggets
Kyle Kuzma practiced on Saturday and is listed as probable for tonight’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets. With LeBron James doubtful to play against Denver due to a thoracic muscle strain, the Lakers could certainly use the spark that a healthy Kuzma is able to provide. Without James, Los Angeles will be missing 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds of production. Kyle could help fill in some of those gaps if his ankle is in fact strong enough to go.
After missing the entire preseason and training camp while recovering from a stress reaction that sidelined him from the 2020 FIBA World Cup, Kuzma has since missed the last five games with an ankle injury. But after practicing this weekend, the Lakers third-year forward is getting excited about the prospects of being back in the lineup for an extended period of time.
“It’s exciting and fun to get back out there with my teammates and play basketball,” Kuzma told reporters after practice on Saturday. “To be able to get back on the court and play basketball is great. I just want to make sure my ankle feels fine and ready. That’s all it is at this point.”
During 20 games this season, Kuzma is averaging 23 minutes per night while scoring 11 points and grabbing just over three rebounds. Last season, while playing over 33 minutes per contest at essentially full strength, he averaged 19 points and six boards. With a marquee Christmas Day matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers looming, Kuzma’s return could play a big role in securing a win over a quality conference opponent.
The Nuggets will enter the Staples Center coming off a five-game home winning streak. They currently own a 19-8 record and are led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. A victory over Los Angeles would move Denver–who currently occupies third place in the Western Conference–to just three games back of the the Lakers for first.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is considered doubtful for Sunday’s meeting with the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been on the road plenty over the last month, playing 12 of their last 15 games on the road, but Sunday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets will be a game played in a new territory despite it being played under the stage lights at Staples Center.
For the first time this season, the Lakers will likely be without LeBron James as he is considered doubtful for the game with a thoracic muscle strain. But while LeBron’s mid-back issue should keep him up out Sunday, it sounds like the Lakers are much more sure of themselves in this situation than the much younger Lakers were last year.
The Lakers may also feel like they have something to prove without James in the fold. James is leading the NBA in assists and has been the fulcrum of everything the Lakers do offensively but Sunday could give other Lakers the opportunity to show their stuff, such as Rajon Rondo and Kyle Kuzma in addition to star forward Anthony Davis.
The Lakers can also look back to their last meeting against Denver with encouragement. Back on Dec. 3 in Denver, the Lakers won 105-96 as they were able to score at will down the stretch of the game against an otherwise strong defense.
Without James, it will certainly be harder but at home with a mostly healthy team outside of LeBron, the Lakers should still be in a good position to avoid losing three straight losses for the first time this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are likely to be without LeBron James on Sunday night when they face the Denver Nuggets.
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be without LeBron James for the first time all season. So far during the LeBron James Era, that has meant bad things for the Lakers team. But with a veteran team and a star player in Anthony Davis still in the fold, at least one holdover from last year’s Lakers team believes the Lakers are better equipped to deal with the loss of LeBron James.
Kyle Kuzma, who is expected to play on Sunday after missing the previous five games, believes the Lakers are in a better spot to play without James this season, according to The Athletic’s Brett Dawson.
“A little bit easier than last year” to deal with an injury to James, forward Kyle Kuzma said on Saturday. “Last year, we were a younger team, so a lot of times in the fourth quarter, we folded a little bit. But we got a veteran team and we still got AD on this team.”
So far this season, the Lakers have +10.7 net-rating when LeBron James is on the court and a -0.6 rating when he sits. While that is a drastic drop-off, it’s better than the Lakers fared last year without LeBron on the floor as they held a -5.6 net-rating when LeBron sat, according to NBA.com.
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be without LeBron James but they should get back Kyle Kuzma on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be without their leader and point guard LeBron James when they return to the Staples Center on Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets, but the Lakers should get some scoring firepower back in the lineup to help them have a chance on Sunday.
Kuzma has had an up and down season from an injury perspective. He missed the entire preseason and training camp as he was recovering from a stress reaction that cost him a shot to play in the 2020 FIBA World Cup. Kuzma has also had to adjust to a new role with the Lakers, seeing fewer minutes and fewer field goal attempts with the arrival of Anthony Davis.
Kuzma is, however, shooting 36.3% on 3-pointers which is a step in the right direction after he barely cracked 30% on 3-pointers last season.
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be without LeBron James when they face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
It appears that the effects of playing 12 of their last 15 games on the road have caught up to LeBron James, as an upper back injury has limited him from practicing and will likely keep him out of Sunday’s return home for the Los Angeles Lakers against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
James is dealing with a “thoracic muscle strain,” according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group. Apparently, it’s something that James was dealing with during the Lakers loss on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers but he played through it for the Lakers in their showdown against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
Frank Vogel says this injury was sustained against Indiana, and LeBron played through it against Milwaukee. https://t.co/0rnOo9tBml
LeBron has played in every game for the Lakers so far this season and he’s averaging 26 points per game while he’s also averaging a career-high 10.6 assists per game, which leads the NBA. Previously this season, James said that he would play so long as he is healthy but perhaps after the trip, the thoracic muscle issue became too uncomfortable for James to ignore.
It’s also a convenient spot for James to get some more days off from playing ahead of a primetime Christmas Day showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers. After Sunday, the Lakers don’t play again until Christmas.
After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA Draft will look like.
After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA draft will look like.
For example, Georgia Bulldogs freshman Anthony Edwards is beginning to separate himself as a near-consensus No. 1 overall pick. On the other side of the coin, though, several of the projected top selections (LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton) will miss extended time due to either injury or suspension.
In order to get a better read of the bigger picture, we collected opinions from the top experts and analysts that cover the draft. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic as well as USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.
Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry, Xavier Tillman in top-45 of The Athletic's NBA Draft Big Board https://t.co/LFrVsMcvZD
One of the most interesting takeaways is that the Michigan State Spartans have three players (Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman) all trending up.
After making the Final Four in last year’s March Madness, the program was expected to take another leap forward for their 2019-20 campaign.
Despite three losses in their first 10 games, the Spartans still rank No. 15 overall this season. This can be attributed to the fact Michigan State currently has the third-best offense in college basketball, per KenPom.com.
They also have three of the most improved players since our last aggregate mock draft. The full list, and more on each of the MSU players moving up draft boards, is included below.
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 17 spots in our rankings.
Despite already being 21 years old, the 6-foot-1 guard currently has a first-round grade from ESPN as well as Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports.
Winston has been one of the best distributors since he began at MSU. 67.1 percent of all field goals for the Spartans have been assisted, which is the sixth-most among all teams so far this season. His career assist rate (44.1 percent) ranks No. 1 overall among all college players who have played at least 50 games since 2009-10, via Sports-Reference.
With 7 assists today vs Rutgers, Cassius Winston now has the 2nd-most career assists (770) in Big Ten History, passing Illinois’ Bruce Douglas.
Winston is now just 46 assists behind Mateen Cleaves for the conference career record (816). pic.twitter.com/BLzMQGjpzx
During his freshman season, he had the second-best assist rate (46.7 percent) in the NCAA. Then as a sophomore, his assist rate (43.5 percent) trailed only Trae Young for the best in college basketball. Last season, his assist mark (44.8 percent) ranked third-best and behind only Ja Morant among all who played for teams that made the tournament.
But he has also shown strength as one of the more accurate shooters in the NCAA.
Winston was 75-for-151 (49.7 percent) from beyond the arc in 2017-18. That helped him join the exclusive 50-40-90 club for field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Even as a sophomore then, the guard was one of the few to have a membership with at least two three-point attempts per game.
There is some enough NBA readiness to show he can contribute right away for a winning team.
Aaron Henry, Wing
AMD Rank: 33
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 26 spots in our rankings.
Henry was of the players who helped himself the most during the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Then a freshman, he put up 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists during a victory over LSU.
While he has not yet taken the leap some expected as a sophomore, draft experts still have confidence in him as a prospect. His highest ranking right now comes from Jonathan Wasserman, who has him at No. 28 overall (via Bleacher Report):
“The eye test on Henry looks more convincing than the numbers. He isn’t a high-level creator, which limits him in Michigan State’s offense. But the 6’6″ guard is hitting open shots, capitalizing on driving lanes and making impact defensive plays. This late, teams will overlook Henry’s production for his fit.”
Perhaps the best news for the wing is that there is room for improvement. However, there have also been moments that show what Henry is capable of accomplishing at the next level.
This season, for example, the sophomore has been one of the most effective shooters off the catch. He is averaging 1.78 points per possession on catch-and-shoot attempts in a set offense, per Synergy Sports, which ranks in the 98th percentile.
Henry is also shooting 72.7 percent at the rim, which is an especially solid rate for a wing. Overall, he looks like someone capable of being a 3-and-D player in an NBA rotation.
Xavier Tillman, Big
AMD Rank: 50
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 13 spots in our rankings.
Michigan State has always been a team that plays better with Tillman on the court. Last season, for example, the big actually had the third-best box plus-minus in the NCAA — trailing only Zion Williamson and Brandon Clarke.
Jeremy Woo recently helped contextualize what professional teams may like about the 6-foot-8 junior (via SI.com):
“Tillman specializes in doing the dirty work and has been a largely unheralded yet invaluable piece of the Spartans’ success dating back to last season. He’s not particularly tall for a center but has a chance to be a quality rotational big in the pros with what he adds defensively and on the glass. Tillman has worked on extending his shooting range, and if he ends up being able to shoot the three, he’ll have a fairly strong window of opportunity as a role player. A lot of the things he does as a screener and defender don’t show up in the box score, and while he’ll never be more than a fourth or fifth offensive option, he might be able to thrive in that capacity.”
His best trait so far this season has been his ability to cut to the basket. He is shooting 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) on these attempts, per Synergy.
But he has also added value on the offensive glass and as a rim protector for Michigan State. His willingness and ability to make the most of time on the floor makes him a draftable professional prospect.
Abdel Nader continuing to make the most of his minutes
It’s unfortunate that Nader’s opportunity comes at the cost of injuries to Hamidou Diallo and Terrance Ferguson, but that is the way of the NBA.
Nader was in the starting lineup once again for Oklahoma City on Saturday night against the Nuggets. He scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with a rebound, two assists, and a steal in 26 minutes of game time.
Paul had four steals in the Thunder’s loss to Denver, bringing his career total to 2,164 to move him past Hakeem Olajuwon and into sole possession of eighth place on the NBA’s all-time steals list.
Paul is 43 steals away from overtaking Clyde Drexler, who currently sits in seventh place all-time with 2.207.
Schröder excels in his sixth-man role
Once again, Dennis Schröder came off the bench to lead Oklahoma City in scoring.
In 33 minutes of game time (which is much more in line with starter’s minutes than it is with backup minutes), Schröder scored 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting and was the only Oklahoma City player to hit more than one 3-pointer. He had four on a night where the Thunder as whole only made six.
The Golden State Warriors were easily the most dominant NBA team in the 2010s decade. What teams followed them? Our full rankings included.
The end of the decade is upon us, which a good time to look at the teams that thrived and those that took a nosedive over the 2010s.
For clarity, the period examined begins with the 2010-11 NBA season and ends Dec. 12, 2019, rather than bridging games that were played in the second half of 2009-10. Remember, the 2011-12 season was limited to 66 games due to a players’ strike.
30. Sacramento Kings
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Kings have been consistent … as in consistently under .500. The last time the franchise had a winning season was 2005-06. It will be interesting to see if they can get over the .500 mark this go-round. The Kings are currently flirting with .500 but still under.
