With matchups against the “rebuilding” Utah Jazz, the hobbled Oklahoma City Thunder, and the new-look Portland Trail Blazers, it was assumed the Denver Nuggets would cruise through their early stretch of games. Unfortunately, it’s taken some of the new and returning players longer to adjust than expected.
After months of anticipation for this revamped Nuggets squad, Jamal Murray has been limited in action, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been efficient but inconsistent while guys like Zeke Nnaji and rookie Christian Braun have been heavily underutilized.
Through the first four games of the 2022-23 NBA season, it feels like Denver is still trying to figure things out. Thankfully, the Nuggets will get the chance to reignite hope in the Mile High and clinch a victory against the 0-3 Los Angeles Lakers in Ball Arena.
With LeBron and the Lakers hungry for their first win of the season and the Nuggets eager to establish a winning record, this game feels hard to predict right off the bat. That being said, the latest Nuggets odds seem to favor the team at home in what’s expected to be a high-scoring affair.
Can Denver move to 3-2 on the year, sending the winless Lakers into full disarray? Or will LeBron and AD be able to grind out a road victory and win their first game of the regular season? With how desperate each team is for a W, this one could come down to the wire.
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Odds, Spread, Over/Under
The latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have Denver as -5.0 favorites against the spread, with the team -110 (bet $110 to win $100 ) to cover. The Lakers are +166 on the moneyline, while the Nuggets check in at -198 (bet $198 to win $100).
The over-under is 229.0, with the over and under both set at -110.
Nuggets Projected Starting Lineup Tonight
G – Jamal Murray – No. 27
G – Caldwell-Pope – No. 5
F – Bruce Brown – No. 11
F – Aaron Gordon – No. 50
C – Nikola Jokic – No. 15
Michael Porter Jr. has been ruled out due to injury management, so look for Bruce Brown to slot in at the three and receive extra playing time as a result.
Nuggets Injury Report
Jamal Murray is still on the road to full recovery from his ACL tear, so he will likely face more minute restrictions tonight, while Jeff Green is considered probable with a left finger sprain. However, the biggest blow arguably comes with the loss of Michael Porter Jr., who is reportedly out for tonight’s contest due to lumbar spine injury management.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (lumbar management), will miss his first game of the season tonight vs. the Lakers (ESPN, 10 ET), but there’s optimism he could be back vs. Utah on Friday, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 26, 2022
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction
It’s very easy to pick the Nuggets right now with the team heading back to Denver to kick off a two-game homestand and eager to get to plus .500 on the season. However, MPJ won’t be suiting up tonight, Jamal Murray is clearly not 100% at the moment and the 28th-ranked Nuggets’ defense just gave up 135 points to the Trail Blazers two nights ago.
Denver has been playing an up-and-down game through the first four contests of the season but they’ve struggled to stop average teams from lighting up the scoreboard. The Lakers also have the second-best defense in the league and are desperate for a win, even if their offense has been putrid thus far, to say the least.
With MPJ missing tonight’s matchup, and Murray likely on a minutes restriction, don’t be shocked if LA pulls off an upset win on the road. It’s also worth noting that the Lakers have won 7 of the last 13 meetings between the two teams.
Lakers 121, Nuggets 115
What channel is the Denver Nuggets game on?
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast at 8:00 p.m. MT/7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN, TSN1, and TSN3 as well as SportsNet LA for Los Angeles residents.
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Live Stream
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Nuggets’ Next Game and Upcoming Schedule
Denver will have an early revenge game against the Jazz at home before heading out west to battle it out once more with the Lakers and their division foe OKC Thunder.
Oct. 28 vs. Utah
Oct. 30 @ Los Angeles Lakers
Nov. 3 @ Oklahoma City
Nov. 5 vs. San Antonio
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.