Nikola Jokic is averaging a triple-double through the first month of the season, and he’ll continue to be a defensive nightmare against the Lakers tonight.
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The Denver Nuggets are in action for the second night in a row tonight as they visit LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
My Nuggets vs Lakers predictions expect another big game from Nikola Jokic after he returned with authority from a three-game absence on Friday.
Find out more in my NBA picks for Saturday, November 23rd.
My best bet
Nikola Jokic Over 26.5 points (-135 at bet365)
My analysis
The Denver Nuggets haven’t been the most consistent team to begin the 2024-25 campaign, but Nikola Jokic is certainly doing his part. The big man is putting up huge numbers, averaging 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 11.7 assists while shooting a whopping 56.7% from 3-point land. The Joker is a walking triple-double.
In his return on Friday, the 29-year-old picked up where he left off, scoring 37 points, grabbing 17 boards, and dishing out 10 dimes. While Jokic didn’t get much help offensively in a surprising loss to the Luka Doncic-less Mavericks, he always brings his best every night.
Last season, Jokic averaged just under 30 ppg in three appearances against the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s hit the Over in points in four of his last five games as well and is averaging 31.7 ppg on the road so far in ‘24-25.
Win or lose, the Joker will ball out tonight in Southern California. Lock in the Over in points with confidence.
Anthony Davis is putting together an MVP campaign for the Lakers so far, averaging 31.3 points and 11.2 rebounds. He’s also shooting an efficient 43.3% from downtown, and that will be the focus here.
Although AD doesn’t take a ton of triples, his total is set at only 0.5. He’s hit the Over in six of the last seven games, draining a minimum of two treys in five of those outings. He’s averaging 0.9 makes on 2.1 attempts per night, and I like Davis to sink at least one 3-pointer tonight.
At first glance, you’d believe there will be a lot of offense in this one as both teams rank Top 10 in points. Neither the Lakers nor the Nuggets are great defensively, either. However, the total is nearly set at 235, which is quite high.
We also have to look at the trends. The Under in points has cashed in four of the last five meetings and that was with the total set much, much lower than tonight. Denver is on the tail-end of a back-to-back, and L.A. has scored more than 120 points just once in its last four.
Take the Under.
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Odds courtesy of bet365
The Lakers have only hit the game total Under in 35 of their last 88 games (-22.15 Units / -23% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Lakers.
Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
Date: | Saturday, 11-23-2024 |
Tip-off: | 10:30 p.m. ET |
TV: | Altitude, Spectrum SportsNet |
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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are back on their home floor Saturday night, when they welcome Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The game is schedule