Previewing Wednesday’s Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and best bets.
The Los Angeles Lakers (40-12) will take on the Denver Nuggets (38-16) at Pepsi Center Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET. We analyze the Lakers-Nuggets odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Lakers at Nuggets: Key injuries
Lakers
C DeMarcus Cousins (knee) out
PF Anthony Davis (finger) probable
Nuggets
SG Will Barton (knee) out
C Bol Bol (foot) out
PG P.J. Dozier (hip) probable
SF Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) out
PF Mason Plumlee (foot) out
Lakers at Nuggets: 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 12:30 p.m. ET.
The Lakers are seeking their first three-game winning streak since the middle of January, while the Nuggets have won four in a row. Denver has won each of its last four home games, too, playing some excellent basketball as of late.
The Lakers are the healthier team right now and the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be too much for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Take the LAKERS (-143) to win outright on the road.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Lakers returns a profit of $7.
The Lakers come in as 2.5-point road favorites, making this the 11th straight game in which they’ve been favored. They’re only 4-6 ATS in that span, while the Nuggets have covered the spread in eight of their last 10 games.
Additionally, the Lakers are only 6-12 in their last 18 games against the Nuggets and 1-5 ATS in their last six road games in Denver. Take the NUGGETS +2.5 (-115) to cover the spread.
The Over/Under is only 219.5, largely because both defenses rank in the top 10 of the NBA. The Lakers are the best shooting team in the league at 48.77% and should be able to find high-percentage shots against the Nuggets.
The total has gone Over in five of the Nuggets’ last six games and in 11 of the Lakers’ last 15 games. Take the OVER 219.5 (-115) Wednesday.
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The Los Angeles Lakers All-Star forward believes that playing with LeBron helped him learn things about the flow of the season.
It’s easy to forget that Anthony Davis has never been on a team like the Los Angeles Lakers team he is currently on since he was a freshman at Kentucky. The Lakers, even though they have struggled a little bit over the past couple of weeks, likely due to a mix of mental, physical and emotional fatigue, still have a three-game lead for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
But now that Davis is back on a team that is winning in a way that inspires hopes of a championship and heading back to his hometown of Chicago for All-Star weekend, it’s a fair time to look back at how much has changed since the awkward All-Star weekend Davis endured last year.
Davis spoke with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and shared that one of the biggest things he’s learned from LeBron James is how to shift his perspective, especially when it comes to losing regular season games, which has only happened 12 times so far this season. Davis said that he “used to get so mad” when he lost games but LeBron has reassured him that losses before the postseason are not catastrophes, at least not at the level they are at.
The Los Angeles Lakers have one more game before their leaders head to Chicago for the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend.
The Los Angeles Lakers have one final game before their leaders LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as well as their entire coaching staff, head to Chicago to represent the Lakers at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. But tonight’s game will likely not come easy, especially given the way the Lakers have been playing lately as they head into the Mile High City to face off against the No. 2 Denver Nuggets and their star center Nikola Jokic.
Jokic has led the Nuggets to the second-best record in the West, even though he had a rough start to the season, he’s at least been there for the team on a nightly basis when basically the rest of the team has missed time with injuries. It has been Jokic that has steadied them on both ends and also was the catalyst for them in a stunning win at Utah last week when the Nuggets had only six available players.
They aren’t so thin anymore after an active trade deadline where they acquired several players from the Minnesota Timberwolves, including Keita Bates-Diop and Shabazz Napier. Bates-Diop played sparingly in the Nuggets win on Monday over San Antonio and given his size, he might get a shot at guarding LeBron James.
Tonight’s Nuggets-Lakers game will also be televised nationally on ESPN and tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m. PST.
After the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline, the focus of basketball transaction rumors often shifts to the potential buyout market for contenders.
After the 2020 NBA trade deadline, the focus of basketball transaction rumors often shifts to the potential buyout market for contenders.
As noted by our own Frank Urbina, the buyout market “might actually be more interesting” than previously expected. While we recently collected a list of potential candidates for a buyout, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the last time a buyout addition played at least 100 playoff minutes for a team that won the title was in 2011. That would be Peja Stojakovic.
Aside from him, we broke down the biggest midseason free agency addition (via amnesty clause, buyout or otherwise) of the year each season since 2009-10.
2010: LARRY HUGHES, CHARLOTTE
(Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
Near the end of his career, former NBA guard Larry Hughes was included in a deal that sent Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks. After the move, he was waived by the Sacramento Kings and was subsequently picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats. He played 14 games with the franchise but made just two appearances in the starting lineup. Hughes scored just 8.1 points per game during the regular season. He played all four games for the team in the postseason, too, averaging 14.5 minutes per game. But he did not make much of an impact, scoring just 6.0 points per game.
2011: MIKE BIBBY, MIAMI
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
During his second-to-last season in the NBA, former NCAA champion Mike Bibby played for three different teams. He started the year with the Atlanta Hawks and was then moved to the Washington Wizards. After playing just two games, he and the organization agreed to a contract buyout and joined the Miami Heat. Bibby played 26.5 minutes per game for Miami, including 12 appearances in the starting lineup. The point guard connected on his personal-best 2.5 three-pointers per 36 minutes while shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. He also started all 20 games during the playoffs for the Heat. However, Bibby averaged just 3.7 points and 1.2 assists per game during these contests.
2012: BORIS DIAW, SAN ANTONIO
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Among all of the midseason free agency additions during the 2010s, former first-round selection Boris Diaw perhaps made the largest impact during his time with the team that signed him. The forward was waived by the Charlotte Bobcats in March 2012. However, within two days, he was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs. He started in seven of 20 games for the Spurs in the regular season and then all 14 appearances for the team in the playoffs. During the postseason, he was 9-for-18 (50.0 percent) from the three-point line. Diaw, who was originally claimed in 2012, remained with San Antonio until 2016 (winning a title in 2013) and became one of the more consistent figures in their rotation.
2013: CHRIS ANDERSEN, MIAMI
(Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
More famously known by his nickname Birdman, former NBA big man Chris Andersen was waived and amnestied by the Denver Nuggets in 2012 so that the franchise could avoid the dreaded luxury tax bill. After some push by head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat signed the 6-foot-10 veteran. He played on two ten-day contracts before eventually getting a deal for the remainder of the season in 2012-13. He played in just over half of the games (42) for the team in that campaign, averaging 14.9 minutes off the bench. He helped Miami go on a 27-game win streak shortly after he was signed. But most notable was his performance in the postseason in which he made all 15 of his first field goal attempts in Game 1 through Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. Overall, he shot a postseason-best 80.4 percent from the field en route to the Heat winning the title in 2013.
2014: DREW GOODEN, WASHINGTON
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Former NBA forward Drew Gooden signed a five-year, $32 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2010. However, he was waived by the team using an amnesty clause back in July 2013. Gooden was picked up by the Washington Wizards in February 2014. After two ten-day contracts, he was signed for the remainder of the season by the Wizards. Gooden played 18.0 minutes off the bench for Washington, scoring 8.3 points and grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game. After playing 10 contests in the postseason for the team, he signed a new deal with the Wizards and briefly became the starting power forward in 2014-15.
2015: AMARE STOUDEMIRE, DALLAS
(Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Six-time NBA All-Star Amare Stoudemire was once a fixture for the New York Knicks. However, his role began to diminish during his final few years with the team. During his final 180 games with the Knicks, the big man was in the starting lineup just 50 times. He was waived by New York and was picked up by the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 10.8 points per game in 23 appearances during the regular season with his new team. The big then scored 7.8 points per game for Dallas during the playoffs.
2016: JOE JOHNSON, MIAMI
(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Seven-time NBA All-Star wing Joe Johnson was a major pickup by the Brooklyn Nets in 2012. But the franchise began to change its identity during the offseason leading into the 2015-16 campaign, letting longtime point guard Deron Williams test the open market and eventually sign with the Dallas Mavericks. Johnson, who had previously scored a field goal in a record 937 straight games, did not score against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 10, 2016. He played just three more games with the Nets before his contract was bought out on February 25. Johnson was fantastic on the Heat, scoring 13.4 points per game during the regular season and 12.1 points per game in the postseason.
2017: DERON WILLIAMS, CLEVELAND
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Three-time NBA All-Star guard Deron Williams signed with the Dallas Mavericks in 2015. He re-signed with Dallas the following season, though Williams missed time with a toe injury. Williams was waived by the team in February 2017 and was then picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams averaged 20.3 minutes per game in 24 appearances during the regular season for Cleveland. His best performance was a near-triple double in April, putting up 35 points with 7 rebounds and 9 assists. This ended up being his final year in the NBA, retiring after losing in the Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
2018: MARCO BELINELLI, PHILADELPHIA
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Former first-rounder Marco Belinelli signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2015 after winning the NBA championship and three-point contest with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. He was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 2016 and then to the Atlanta Hawks in 2017. The wing was waived by Atlanta in February 2018 and then claimed by the Philadelphia 76ers. Belinelli then put up a career-high 13.6 points and 2.0 three-pointers per game. He then scored 25 points against the Miami Heat in the postseason. He also hit a game-tying buzzer-beater to send a game against the Boston Celtics to overtime.
2019 WESLEY MATTHEWS, INDIANA
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
After an impressive tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2010 until 2015, Wesley Matthews signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. He was traded to the New York Knicks, where he played just two games for the team before he was waived in February 2019. Matthews was picked up by the Indiana Pacers, then connecting on six three-pointers against the New Orleans Pelicans later in the month. He played 31.5 minutes per game in his 23 appearances during the regular season, starting in each contest. Matthews also started all four games he played in the postseason for Indiana.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives the Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
10. RUDY GOBERT, UTAH
Last week’s ranking: Unranked.
One of the league’s most dominant big men on the defensive end, Rudy Gobert was finally rewarded for his excellent play over the past few years with his first All-Star Game nomination this season. In 2019-20, the French center ranks No. 2 in nightly rebounds and No. 5 in blocks per game, consistently terrorizing opponents in the painted area. As we get near to All-Star Weekend, Gobert has helped push his Utah Jazz club to the West’s No. 4 seed and a 35-18 record, and his ridiculous +14.4 swing rating has a lot to do with that success.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
9. JIMMY BUTLER, MIAMI
Last week’s ranking: No. 9.
Missed time due to injury and a three-game losing streak for the Miami Heat caused Jimmy Butler to slip a bit in our rankings this week, but regardless, there’s no doubt the 30-year-old has been one of the NBA’s most impactful wing players on the campaign as a whole. On the year, Butler is averaging 20.5 points and a career-high 6.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per contest while producing 1.8 steals nightly (sixth-highest average in the league). Butler is one of just six players posting a 20/6/6 stat line this season, and the other five are all players who you’ll either find on this list or who have won MVP in the past (Russell Westbrook). Butler looks right at home in his first season in South Florida.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
8. KAWHI LEONARD, LA CLIPPERS
Last week’s ranking: No. 8.
Kawhi Leonard, No. 8 in the league in scoring this season (27.1 points per game) and No. 5 in steals (1.9), continues to produce at an elite level for the Los Angeles Clippers, who are No. 5 in the NBA in net rating this year. If it weren’t for load management, there’s a good chance Leonard would rank even higher on our list, but missing action once every other week will likely do enough to prevent the reigning Finals MVP from making a legitimate run at regular-season MVP this year. For shame, because when he does suit up, Leonard is one of the most destructive two-way forces in basketball.
Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
7. NIKOLA JOKIC, DENVER
Last week’s ranking: No. 7.
Over the past five games, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is averaging 28.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, a stretch in which the Nuggets are 4-1. That’s, to put it lightly, ridiculous. In one of those outings, Jokic was up against Utah’s own MVP candidate big man Gobert in a game following a major trade where Denver had just seven players available. Jokic finished that outing with 30 points on 58.3 percent shooting, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, hitting the game-winning jumper over his French opponent in the process.
Nikola Jokic HITS to put the Nuggets up 1 with less than a minute remaining 😱 pic.twitter.com/YgppxPHxo5
Not a bad stretch of games for Denver’s franchise cornerstone.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
6. LUKA DONCIC, DALLAS
Last week’s ranking: No. 6.
A second extended absence due to ankle troubles has all but killed any real chance Luka Doncic had to make a run at league MVP this year because for a 20-year-old to win the award, they’d need to be perfect all season long. That’s not to say Doncic hasn’t been spectacular when he has played – his numbers, 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, indicate he has been – but just that the bar for a second-year player to win the prestigious award is even higher than it is for veterans, so Doncic’s MVP odds have taken a huge hit over recent weeks as he recovers from his ankle sprain.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
5. LEBRON JAMES, LA LAKERS
Last week’s ranking: No. 3.
The league-leader in assists per game at 10.7, LeBron James has had trouble with his efficiency recently, which is part of the reason why he’s seen his spot in our rankings slip over the last few weeks. In his last six games, the four-time league MVP is shooting 44 percent from the floor and 63 percent from the foul stripe. Even so, the 35-year-old forward is producing at an insane level considering his age and the number of miles he’s got on his body, and he has the Los Angeles Lakers in position to make a championship run this season.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
4. ANTHONY DAVIS, LA LAKERS
Last week’s ranking: No. 5.
Besides Anthony Davis’ monstrous numbers this season (26.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.4 blocks per game), the Lakers big man is also arguably the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-20, which speaks to his otherworldly dominance in his first campaign in L.A. When comparing the advanced analytics between Davis and James, the results are pretty split, with the former getting the nod in Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus and the latter taking Player Efficiency Rating and Win Shares per 48 Minutes. Either way, the Lakers are blessed to have such elite talent in their frontcourt.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
3. DAMIAN LILLARD, PORTLAND
Last week’s ranking: No. 4.
The player who has been soaring up our rankings over recent weeks, and with good reason, Damian Lillard has been on an absolute tear, helping his Portland Trail Blazers stay within striking distance of the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed. Over his last 15 games, Lillard is averaging 37.2 points per game on preposterous 50.3/46.6/88.1 shooting splits, along with 8.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds nightly. The most exciting part of all this is the fact that Lillard doesn’t appear to be slowing down and gets the All-Star break now to rest up a bit, so this run of incredible form should continue into the home stretch of the season. If he does, don’t be surprised to see the five-time All-Star climb his way even further up this list.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
2. JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON
Last week’s ranking: No. 2.
Former league MVP James Harden has been slumping for a while now, so this could very well be his last week at this spot in our rankings unless he turns it around after the All-Star break. In his last 15 outings, Harden is averaging “just” 27.9 points per game (he was averaging 38.5 points prior to this 15-game stretch) and shooting 27.9 percent from the floor, 27.1 percent from beyond the arc. Regardless, Harden has still been fantastic on the season as a whole, and with the Houston Rockets shifting towards this super small-ball lineup, the bearded 2-guard could get right back on track with all the added space.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
1. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE
Last week’s ranking: No. 1.
There’s not much to say about Giannis Antetokounmpo that we haven’t written before. He’s somehow found a way to improve upon his insane 2018-19 season, which didn’t seem possible; his defense remains absurd; he’s averaging over 30 points, 13 rebounds and five assists per game; his Milwaukee Bucks have been the league’s best team this year, and it hasn’t been all that close. So this week, we’ll write something about the Greek Freak we haven’t been able to say prior to today: Congrats on being a first-time father!
Antetokounmpo has missed the last few games with his newfound parental duties, though the teams Milwaukee has played in that stretch probably don’t mind his absence all that much.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
The longtime friend and agent of LeBron James, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, is hoping to add more substance to NBA All-Star Weekend.
In hopes of changing the transitory nature of the NBA All-Star Weekend, Klutch Sports founder and super-agent Rich Paul is trying to add a little bit of substance to the weekend with something that can have a little bit more of an impact on the city than the deluge of celebrities and athletes that goes to every city that hosts the All-Star festivities.
CNBC’s Jabari Young got the scoop on what Paul is calling “Klutch Conversations,” talks about financial literacy that will begin this Friday at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in Chicago, which is in the southside neighborhood of Kenwood. Klutch is also partnering with Chance The Rapper’s SocialWorks program and food manufacturer General Mills for the event.
According to Young, Paul plans to do more than just this weekend’s talk in Chicago, because they are important to the founder of Klutch.
“There are no dinner-table conversations educating to what’s going on about how to understand credit, how to understand how Bob Iger is now the CEO of Disney,” Paul, 39, told CNBC in an interview. “What does that mean? How does someone get to that point? We don’t grow up understanding those dynamics. We grow up understanding that life is hard, and it’s going to be difficult for me to make it out [of underprivileged environments].”
Not unlike his friend LeBron James, Paul is hoping to use his own success and knowledge to empower the next generation. LeBron himself shared how proud he was of Paul starting the initiative.
This makes me so proud man. Basketball is our passion, but what we are doing in the community is our purpose! 🙏🏾❤️💪🏾👑https://t.co/pKrG0ltvzK
The now Los Angeles Lakers forward couldn’t believe the Phoenix Suns let Kobe Bryant go the full court without a double-team.
With the NBA All-Star Weekend around the corner, the NBA’s memories and mourning of Kobe Bryant will only continue as the league remembers his storied career. And perhaps as a sign of things to come for the NBA’s content offerings during All-Star Weekend, they dug up an old clip from 2006 that brings some goosebumps in the wake of his tragic death along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.
As part of a retrospective that ran yesterday on NBA TV entitled Kobe Bryant, through the years, they found an old video of LeBron James reacting to Bryant’s game-winner in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. LeBron knew it was going in once he saw the Suns didn’t force the ball from Bryant’s hands.
“You can’t let him get the ball like that. You don’t let him get the ball, I don’t care,” LeBron said after seeing Bryant put up one of his most famous shots. Bryant was one of the players LeBron looked up to coming into the league, so we not only got to see the competitor in him but also the basketball fan.
We will likely see more memories and clips that most of us haven’t seen as the NBA goes back to the archives this weekend to find memories of Kobe Bryant.
The son of the Los Angeles Lakers son showed that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree by emulating his dad’s epic dunk.
Just over two weeks after the passing of Kobe Bryant, he’s still on everybody’s minds in the basketball world. After last week’s viral dunk by LeBron James, which emulated a Bryant dunk from 19 years ago, brought that back to the forefront once again.
LeBron referenced the 90s classic movie “The Sixth Man,” saying that he believes he was inhabited by Kobe’s spirit on that dunk when he emulated the same dunk from the past. But the family aspects of the Bryant tragedy have moved everybody, including the James family. Bronny wrote a tribute to Gigi and Kobe on his shoes for his first game after the tragedy and on Monday, Bronny emulated his father’s Kobe-esque dunk .
On this episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Alex Kennedy chats with Josh Martin, who is the Editorial Director of CloseUp360 and co-host of the Hollywood Hoops podcast. They discuss what’s next for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angles Clippers and Golden State Warriors after the NBA trade deadline. Time-stamps are below.
:45: Alex and Josh discuss the Clippers’ acquisition of Marcus Morris and how much it improves this team.
3:25: The Lakers and Clippers have targeted many of the same players and this has been described as an arms race by Adrian Wojnarowski and others in the media. Will these two teams continue to battle over the same free agents and trade targets going forward?
7:00: Discussing Darren Collison’s decision not to return to the NBA this season and what that means for the Lakers and Clippers.
10:10: The Lakers are now shifting their focus to free agents such as Dion Waiters and JR Smith. Other available guards include Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Johnson. Do any of these players make sense for the Lakers?
14:45: Who should the Clippers target, if anyone, from free agency or the buyout market?
16:50: Lance Stephenson has history with Frank Vogel and the Lakers. Alex and Josh talk about whether he’d make any sense in Los Angeles.
19:50: Which team is the current favorite to win it all this season: the Lakers or the Clippers? And which team is better positioned for the long haul?
24:30: Breaking down whether the Warriors made the right decision trading D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves last week. Can Andrew Wiggins take the next step and realize his full potential in Golden State?
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Nike dropped jerseys for the Monstars on Monday, which will be featured alongside Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in ‘Space Jam 2.’
You don’t have to wait until 2021 to get merch from ‘Space Jam 2.’ Nike unexpectedly dropped the “Monstars” jerseys that will be used in the reboot of the 1996 classic, featuring LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. All-Star Weekend is just around the corner and it’s generally a big weekend for the sneaker community, so Nike dropped an unexpected treat on fans who want to get the new Monstars gear.
LeBron spent basically all of the last summer working on the set of ‘Space Jam 2,’ including having a full-court basketball gym built on the set so he could maintain his workout routine while shooting the movie. James will be joined by other NBA stars in the movie, such as Portland’s Damian Lillard, Golden State’s Klay Thompson and his new Lakers teammate Anthony Davis.
It will be interesting to see what else Nike has planned with regards to Space Jam, especially since this year’s All-Star Game is at the house that Michael Jordan built in Chicago.
