Oddsmakers showing no respect to Lakers in series odds vs. Nuggets
The Los Angeles Lakers are major underdogs in the opening series odds against the Denver Nuggets.
By Peter Dewey
Here we go again.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets are the marquee matchup in the first round of the playoffs in the Western Conference after matching up in the Western Conference Finals last season, but oddsmakers think this series won't be close... at all.
Denver is a massive -310 favorite to win the series, and the most likely series outcomes all feature Denver winning the series in the betting odds. Are LeBron James and company being disrespected here?
It sure feels like it.
Even though Los Angeles has not beaten Denver since the 2022-23 regular season, these teams have played a ton of close games, which could shift in L.A.'s favor in a playoff series.
Here's a look at the opening odds for the first round matchup between these powerhouses:
Lakers vs. Nuggets series odds
- Denver Nuggets: -310
- Los Angeles Lakers: +250
- Nuggets in 5: +285
- Nuggets in 7: +340
- Nuggets in 6: +425
- Nuggets in 4: +500
- Lakers in 6: +650
- Lakers in 7: +900
- Lakers in 5: +2000
- Lakers in 4: +3000
Can Lakers upset Nuggets in first round of playoffs?
Let's be honest, last season's sweep was far from a normal sweep. The Nuggets themselves have come out to say how hard the Western Conference Finals were, with each game coming down to the wire.
"It's probably the toughest series we had," Nuggets star Nikola Jokic said on Wednesday.
The Nuggets big man wasn't alone. Michael Porter Jr. explained how tough it was to face Los Angeles last season, saying that they're taking every team seriously.
“The Lakers are a very good team as well,” Porter Jr. said on Wednesday. “We may have swept them last year, but it was a battle every game. They were in the game – I think they were in every game and then it came down to the last two or three minutes where we kind of pull away. It may have looked like we dominated, but that was a very good matchup last year. We’re taking everyone serious.”
Each game in last year's WCF was close, with Los Angeles losing by six, five, 11 and two points.
Can the Lakers get a few breaks to flip the script this season? It's quite possible, even though the team was 0-3 against Denver in the regular season. The Lakers came into the WCF last season as much lighter dogs, as Denver was just a -185 favorite in that series.
These odds suggest that the Lakers have just a 28.57 percent chance to win the series (based on implied probability). That's extremely low for a team that has James and Anthony Davis on the roster.
After Darvin Ham benched D'Angelo Russell in this series last season, hopefully, the Lakers find a way to keep him on the floor for his offensive production this time around. I'd give Los Angeles a better shot than oddsmakers are to win this series.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.