Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction, Odds & Best Bets | NBA Betting (2/8): Jokic Shows Off Playmaking Prowess

Today’s Nuggets vs Lakers prediction and NBA best bets are brought to you by Bovada. Bovada is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from the NBA to the NHL and everything in between.

The NBA has a pair of massive TNT matchups airing on Thursday, Feb.8, including a 10 p.m. ET showdown between the Denver Nuggets (35-16) and Los Angeles Lakers (27-25) at crypto.com Arena.

Game Day! pic.twitter.com/yIzukgv4As

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 8, 2024

The Nuggets aim for their third win in a row tonight following back-to-back home victories over the Portland Trail Blazers. On the other side, the Lakers return home on a three-game winning streak after Monday’s hard-fought 124-118 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Whose winning ways will continue once the final buzzer goes tonight? Let’s dive into this Nuggets vs. Lakers betting preview to find out.

Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Betting Tonight (2/8)

Nuggets vs Lakers Matchup Information

• Matchup: Denver Nuggets (35-16, 14-12 Away) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (27-25, 17-8 Home)
• Venue & Location: crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
• Date: Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024
• Game Time: 10 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Nuggets vs. Lakers: TNT

Lakers vs Nuggets Odds & Spread

Nuggets vs. Lakers odds are courtesy of Bovada as of Thursday, Feb. 8 at 10:45 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Nuggets vs Lakers Spread

• Denver Nuggets -3.5 (-110)
• Los Angeles Lakers +3.5 (-110)

Lakers vs Nuggets Over/Under

• Over 230 Points (-110)
• Under 230 Points (-110)

Nuggets vs Lakers Moneyline

• Denver Nuggets (-160)
• Los Angeles Lakers (+135)

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Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Betting Trends

• Denver is 6-0 straight up in its last six games vs. the Lakers.
• The Lakers are 5-2 straight up in their last seven games.
• Denver is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games vs. the Western Conference.
• The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
• The total hit the Under in eight of Denver’s last nine games.
• The total hit the Under in five of the Lakers’ last seven games vs. Denver.

Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction & NBA Pick Today (2/8): Will Denver’s Streak Continue?

Tonight marks the second Nuggets-Lakers matchup of the 2023-24 season and the first since they opened the season against each other on Oct. 24. Denver hardly broke a sweat that night as Nikola Jokic’s triple-double (29 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) paved the way to a 119-107 win over Los Angeles.

The victory was also the Nuggets’ sixth in a row over the Lakers. Los Angeles hasn’t defeated Denver since Dec. 16, 2022, losing each of the last six encounters by an average of 8.2 points.

Having said that, Darvin Ham’s team has performed well as of late. The Lakers are 5-2 SU in their last seven games and have won the most recent three in a row, defeating the Celtics, Knicks, and Hornets by an average of 7.7 points while holding two of those opponents to exactly 105 points.

Nevertheless, the Nuggets have their fair share of momentum, too. The defending NBA Champions have won nine of their last 12 outings and are 19-11 SU against the Western Conference this season. For comparison, the Lakers are 18-16 SU against fellow West teams.

The Nuggets have a 63.3% winning percentage against Western Conference teams in 2023-24.

The Lakers have been solid at home throughout the campaign, winning 18 of 26 matchups at crypto.com Arena so far. Having said that, they only covered the spread in 13 of those games. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are 14-12 SU and 9-16-1 ATS on the road.

While Los Angeles has eight victories in its last 11 home games against Denver, LeBron & Co. have lost back-to-back games and three of the last five to Jokic’s squad at crypto.com Arena.

As far as injuries go, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (hamstring) is the Nuggets’ only designation, however, he’s listed as ‘probable.’ Meanwhile, LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (hip/Achilles) are questionable for the Lakers while Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Cam Reddish (ankle), and Gabe Vincent (knee) have all been ruled out.

With that being said, LeBron and Davis both suited up on Monday despite their status being up in the air.

Will Anthony Davis be healthy enough to play for the Lakers tonight?

The Lakers are playing well at the moment, but their injuries concern me. The Nuggets are the healthier team and clearly have the home squad’s number, highlighted by October’s victory. Unless Los Angeles has a perfect night on offense and limits turnovers, Denver should emerge victorious tonight.

I do like the Under on the 230-point total as the best bet, though. On top of both defenses playing well lately, the Under is 8-1 in Denver’s last nine games and 6-1 in Los Angeles’ seven previous February matchups. The Lakers and Nuggets also failed to surpass their projected point total in five of their last seven games, scoring fewer than 230 points in four of the last six.

Nuggets vs Lakers Prediction: DEN wins

Best Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Bet: Under 230 Total Points  (-110)

Get 50% up to $750 on this pick over on Bovada

Best Nuggets vs Lakers NBA Prop Bet (2/8)

If you’re searching for a Nuggets vs. Lakers prop, consider backing the Over on Nikola Jokic’s 8.5-assist total.

Nikola Jokic was on one last night. pic.twitter.com/9wpZ4WsEFd

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) February 3, 2024

The Serbian superstar is one of the best playmakers in the NBA today, averaging 9.0 assists per game. He has hit the Over on this prop 27 times across 49 appearances (55.1%) and eight times in his last nine games, which includes finishing with a dozen helpers twice in his three most recent outings.

Jokic is also averaging 12.3 assists in his last six meetings with the Lakers, finishing with anywhere between 11 and 16 assists five times and no fewer than eight in each contest. Throw in the fact that Los Angeles allows the 11th-most assists this season and it’s even easier to like this prop bet.

Best Nuggets vs Lakers Prop Bet: Nikola Jokic o8.5 Assists (-120)

Get 50% up to $750 on this pick over on Bovada

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