Thursday’s contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets is important in their battle for the Western Conference playoffs. Both teams are just inside the automatic playoff cutoff line (top 6), with Denver fifth in the conference at 38-24 and Los Angeles right behind at 37-24.
Let’s get into my predictions for Lakers vs. Nuggets.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets odds
Money line: Lakers +164 / Nuggets -198
Spread: Lakers +5.5 (-115) / Nuggets -5.5 (-105)
Total: Over 240.5 (-110) / Under 240.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets best bet: Lakers +5.5 (-115)
The Lakers may be dismissed as NBA title contenders, but don’t sleep on them completely. They are healthy right now and playing well. Their current three-game winning streak includes a 28-point upset of the Warriors, a 24-point win over the Kings, and a nine-point win over the Pelicans. No one on the active roster other than Maxi Kleber – who is averaging 2.2 points per game – has any kind of injury word for today’s contest. Luke Doncic has led the team in scoring with seven straight, including a 41-point performance against the Suns last Thursday. Doncic also recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists against New Orleans earlier this week.
Denver is still without Aaron Gordon (hamstring), who hasn’t played since Jan. 23. The Nuggets went 6-1 in Gordon’s last seven games before he went down; they are 7-9 since then.
The two conference rivals faced off only once in 2025-26, when the Lakers traveled to Denver on January 20 and earned a 115-107 victory. It should be noted that Nikola Jokic was not in the home team. However, remember that Gordon was playing for the Nuggets in that game and LA didn’t have Austin Reaves. So the Lakers still have some advantages in this rematch even though Jokic is playing. An upset is possible, but at least Los Angeles should put together a generous spread.
The Lakers are 3-0 against the spread in their last four games and 4-0 ATS in the last four head-to-head matchups. The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.
