One of the most interesting NBA games scheduled for Monday, January 9, is going to be played in Denver, and here you can read the best Lakers vs. Nuggets betting pick and odds.

Los Angeles is hoping for the sixth win in a row when they visit Denver at Ball Arena. The Nuggets are -8.5 favorites on BetUS Sportsbook, while the total is set at 239 points. These conference rivals have already faced on three occasions this season, and the Lakers currently lead the series 2-1.

Lakers are on a good course

The Los Angeles Lakers (19-21, 18-21-1 ATS) are playing without Anthony Davis, but they are displaying their best performances of the campaign in the last ten days. Namely, the Lakers are on a five-game winning run thanks to LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Thomas Bryant, all of which improved with AD sidelined. After concluding a five-game road trip with a pair of wins over Atlanta and Charlotte, the Lakers won both home games against Miami and Atlanta and opened a two-game road trip with a tight 136-134 victory over the in-state rivals Sacramento Kings. It was a season-high 136 points for Los Angeles, who shot 61.0% from the floor.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Thomas Bryant posted a double-double of 29 points and game-high 14 boards, Dennis Schroder added 27 points and four rebounds, while Russell Westbrook recorded a double-double of 23 points and game-high 15 dimes along with five boards.

PF/C Anthony Davis (foot), SG Lonnie Walker IV (back), and SG Austin Reaves (hamstring) are out indefinitely. SF Troy Brown (quad) is questionable to face Denver on Monday.

Nuggets didn’t have problems with the Cavs in Denver

The Denver Nuggets (26-13, 20-19-0 ATS) opened their four-game home stand with a couple of victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers, bouncing back from an unexpected road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets have routinely beaten the Cavs 121-108 and climbed up to the top spot in the Western Conference with the Memphis Grizzlies (25-13) breathing on their neck. Denver shot 53.1% from the field, made 17 three-pointers opposite Cleveland’s ten, and despite committing twice as many turnovers (14-7), the Nuggets cruised to an easy victory.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with a triple-double (his 10th of the year) of 28 points, game-high 15 rebounds, and a game-high ten assists along with two steals. Jamal Murray had 18 points, four boards, and two blocks, Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 with eight rebounds, Bruce Brown posted a 13/5/6 line, while Aaron Gordon recorded a double-double of 12 points and ten boards.

SF Jeff Green is out of commission due to a fractured left hand and sprained finger. He is likely to return in late January.

Trends:

Los Angeles:

  • 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall
  • 4-1 ATS in the last five road games

Denver:

  • 5-11 ATS in the last 16 games following a straight-up win of more than ten points
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five Monday games

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Pick

The Nuggets have the best home record (16-3) in the entire NBA and haven’t lost at Ball Arena since December 7 when the Mavericks beat them. It’s a ten-game winning streak in Denver for Michael Malone’s side, and even though the Lakers are playing very well at the moment, I doubt they can defeat the Nuggets on Monday. Still, I do believe LeBron and co. can cover and put up a fight. Denver does have a better defense that allows 113.8 points per game opposite Los Angeles’ 117.7 ppg, but the Lakers have a slightly better offense and can play shoulder-to-shoulder with the favored home team.

Pick: Take the Lakers at +10.5 (-133)

The Total

The Lakers have been red-hot offensively of late. They scored 120+ points in seven of their previous ten games, but they also surrendered 120+ in five of those games. On the other side, Denver scored 120+ in seven of its last nine games, so I expect to see a classic shootout on Monday. Over is 29-12-2 in the last 43 H2H meetings; Over is 16-5 in the previous 21 H2H duels in Denver, Over is 5-1 in the Nuggets’ last six overall, while Over is 8-3 in the Lakers’ previous 11 overall.Pick: Go over 237.5 points (-130)