The Los Angeles Lakers head back on the road to take on the Denver Nuggets before beginning their longest homestand of the season thus far.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a rough outing in their last game against the Orlando Magic. For the second time in just over a week, the Lakers started off strong against the Magic but faltered in the two middle quarters.
A fourth-quarter comeback fell short, as Los Angeles was unable to seal the deal against the Magic for the second time this season. Now, the Lakers will look to get back in the win column with a tough test against the Denver Nuggets.
Denver began the season 9-1, with the only loss coming against the Lakers. They faltered a little after that, losing six of their next seven games, However, they have gotten things back on track recently, as they are riding a three-game winning streak entering tonight’s game. They will have some added motivation as well to exact some revenge against the Lakers.
The first meeting of the season came back on Oct. 25. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 121-114 at the Staples Center. The starting five dominated that game for the Lakers, as all five players, LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball all scored in double figures.
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All five stuffed the stat sheet, led by James. James recorded his first triple-double in the purple and gold, scoring 28 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, all three which led the team. Lance Stephenson also chipped in 12 points off the bench.
For the Nuggets, their two biggest contributors were Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Los Angeles has struggled against centers and point guards at times this season, and it was no different in the first matchup against the Lakers.
Jokic scored 24 points with 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Murray scored 22 points with 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Off the bench, backup point guard Monte Morris had a big game, scoring 20 points with seven assists, three rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes.
If the Lakers want to pull off the upset on the road, keeping those three in check is imperative. The Lakers did an excellent job defending the 3-point line in the first matchup, as well, holding Denver to 26.1 percent from behind the arc.
Game Info
Date: November 27th, 2018
Start time: 9 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. PT
Location: Denver, Colorado
Stadium: Pepsi Center
TV Info: NBA TV, SpecSN, ALT
Radio: 710 AM ESPN / 1330 AM ESPN DEPORTES, KKSE 950AM
Live Stream: FuboTV
Betting Info
The Lakers have been a good road team this season, going 5-4 away from the Staples Center. However, the Nuggets have been even better at home, going 8-3 thus far. For betting odds, the Lakers are 4-5 ATS on the road, while the Nuggets are 7-4 at home ATS. For gamblers, the total may be where to look in this game, as the Lakers are 7-11-1 for overs, while the Nuggets are 6-13-1.
Spread: Lakers +4
Moneyline: Lakers +150 up to +155, Nuggets -165, up to -175
Total: 215.5 points
Projected Starting Lineups
Lakers
PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Brandon Ingram
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kyle Kuzma
C: JaVale McGee
Nuggets
PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Gary Harris (Torrey Craig if Harris is sidelined again)
SF: Juan Hernangomez
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Nikola Jokic