Los Angeles Lakers (52-46) vs Denver Nuggets (64-32)
Game Info: Monday, May 22, 2023 at 8:30 pm (Crypto.com Arena)
Betting Odds: Los Angeles Lakers -3.5 -- Over/Under: 221.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Denver Nuggets will be looking to complete the series sweep against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 at the Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.
The Denver Nuggets are now just one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals after taking apart the Lakers in a 119-108 win in Game 3 on Saturday. Jamal Murray exploded for 30 points in the first half to finish with 37 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Nikola Jokic tallied 24 points with six rebounds and eight assists, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 17 points while Bruce Brown chipped in with 15 points off the bench. As a team, the Nuggets shot 50 percent from the field and 17 of 41 from the 3-point line as they leaned heavily on Murray who carried the offense in the first half, before they clicked into gear and used a decisive 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away and take a 3-0 series lead.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers now have their backs up against the wall after failing to defend home court on Saturday. Anthony Davis led the way with 28 points and 18 rebounds on 11 of 18 shooting, LeBron James tallied 23 points with seven rebounds and 12 assists while Austin Reaves tallied 23 points with seven rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 45 percent from the field and 10 of 32 from the 3-point line as they exploded for 35 points in the second quarter to erase an early double-digit deficit, only to get blown away in the fourth quarter where they allowed 35 points. D’Angelo Russell had a night to forget as he scored just three points on one of eight shooting.
Looking at the betting trends, the Nuggets are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five Conference Finals games and 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games against a team with a winning record. The Lakers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games, 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning record and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.
Head to head, the over is 15-7-2 in the last 24 meetings in Los Angeles, the Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings overall and the Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings in Los Angeles.
The Lakers are desperate for a win to at least avoid getting swept and it’s not like they haven’t had their chances as they could’ve easily won Games 2 and 3 if they closed out better. Jokic couldn’t get going until the second half on Saturday and the Nuggets were still good enough to get the job done thanks to a big game from Murray. I’m sure the Lakers will come out swinging, so I’m expecting another big game from Davis, but I can’t see the Nuggets’ Jokic getting off to another slow start like he did in Game 3. I can see why the Lakers are favored at home, but I think this is the end of the road for them.
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Peter’s Pick Denver +3.5
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
Mitch's Take...
