Lakers vs Nuggets Conference Final Odds: Joker Went Off, in Sick Performance!

Point Spread Betting Trending Towards Underdogs

The Los Angeles Lakers may have lost Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. But the underdogs rallied hard enough to cover the spread, which went up to seven points, as they lost 132-126. That backdoor cover was influential enough as plenty of bettors are now siding with them via the Lakers vs Nuggets Conference Final odds for Game 2. They opened with a +6 spread, which has now dipped to +5.5 as momentum may be on their side.

What More Can Lakers’ Stars Do?

If we told you Anthony Davis scored 40 points with 10 rebounds on 60.9 percent shooting, you’d likely think the Lakers won. That was not the case as his 40 and LeBron James’s own double-double (26 points and 12 rebounds) were not enough as the Lakers lost. They did cover the spread and improved to 9-4-0 against the spread (ATS) for the postseason.

But covering spreads is not in the team’s interest, not when they lose the game. The Lakers will need to win Game 2 to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, which may be insurmountable. Los Angeles will need to start better as falling behind an 18-point deficit at the half did them in.

“It’s not even a size factor. It’s a mobility factor,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said about the team’s slow start. “Meaning, like bodies, we had guys, multiple bodies just standing around. No one is seeking out a hit. No one is…one person getting a hit, one person selling out, going after the basketball. A couple of times, the ball just dropped to the ground and someone swooped in from their team and grabbed it.”

Indeed, the Nuggets outrebounded the Lakers 36-13 in the first half. Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic had more rebounds (16) than the entire Lakers team after the first 24 minutes. He also had 19 points and seven assists.

But the Lakers came out of the half hot and outscored Denver 72-60. The trio of Davis, James, and Austin Reaves scored 55 of the Lakers’ 72 points. The team will need others like D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder to contribute more if they are to beat the Lakers vs Nuggets Conference Final odds.

Nuggets Almost Ran Out of Gas

Jokic’s first-half performance would go down as one of the greatest as far as NBA rankings go. But what should concern Nuggets fans is how the team limped to the end of the game. The two-time MVP went 0-2 for three points in the 10 minutes he played. Aaron Gordon was -13 while the team got outscored by the Lakers’ trio.

Optimists will point to the Nuggets letting their foot off the gas as they simply let the clock run out on the Lakers. But there is sufficient evidence that suggests that Jokic does tire out to end games. Averaging 8.2 minutes per fourth quarter in the playoffs, Jokic’s 53.1 effective field goal rate is his lowest.

While he’s still impacting the game on a positive note, Jokic scores the fewest points at his least efficient in the most important quarter of the game. That may not matter much when Denver has built a big lead. But as they failed to cover on a bad beat in Game 1, it’s one worth noting for those perusing the Lakers vs Nuggets Conference Final odds.

Still, Denver will return home where it has won nine straight and five of its last six against the Lakers. The ball is still in their court both literally and figuratively. Jokic will continue to “beast” on the Lakers but the team will need a more consistent performance across all quarters.

Jamal Murray stayed aggressive and led Denver with eight points in the fourth. He scored 31 in total as he maintained the Nuggets’ red-hot offense. Denver will continue winning on the strength of their offense. It’s how they finished atop the NBA’s Western Conference and how they’ll win it in the NBA playoffs. As such, the total has risen to 227 points after it totaled 258 in Game 1.

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