The Los Angeles Lakers got a boost acquiring Luka Doncic in a massive trade at the deadline. It was reported before the All-Star break that Doncic would take the time to work on his conditioning, which was an area of concern for his former team. Just how much of an impact Doncic will have remains to be seen but he and his new mates get a chance to show off on Saturday when LA visits the scorching hot Denver Nuggets for a primetime matchup on ABC. The game is scheduled to tip at 8:30 p.m. ET from Ball Arena. The Nuggets entered the break as the hottest team in the NBA with eight straight wins and six consecutive payouts on the NBA odds at the Bitcoin sportsbook. They are also poised to overtake Memphis as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
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Lakers at Nuggets Same Game Parlay
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Los Angeles Lakers
Not all went according to plan for LA at the deadline. In an effort to fill the void left by dealing Anthony Davis, the Lakers struck a deal with Charlotte for Mark Williams. However that trade was later rescinded over injury concerns. Instead the team pivoted and signed Alex Len to help the front court depth issues. Still, teaming Doncic with LeBron James makes LA scary. James recently skipped the All-Star Game so he could tend to lingering health issues.
Though his numbers were weak the result was what the Lakers were looking for when Doncic debuted in a Lakers uniform. Playing for the first time in six weeks, Doncic scored 14 points in LA’s 132-113 win over Utah. After such a lengthy hiatus you could see the rust in Luka’s game. He was 5 of 14 from the field overall and 1 of 7 from behind the arc. In their final game before the All-Star break the Lakers saw their six-game winning streak end in the second of a home and home with the Jazz, 131-119. Doncic scored 16 points and James had 18.
The Lakers got plenty of support in the championship odds market after acquiring Doncic with their futures odds shrinking to the lowest they’ve been all season. Of course everything depends on the health of Doncic and that should be a concern for the club since he’s averaged about 60 games a season. Despite losing to Utah the Lakers entered the break on a roll with 12 wins in 15 games to move up the standings. They are also 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 outings.
Denver Nuggets
Thanks to their recent hot streak the Nuggets felt it was not necessary to make any significant roster adjustments at the trade deadline. They’ve been riding the strong play of Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray winning eight in a row prior to the break. while most players enjoy time off in the middle of hectic season the Nuggets were likely looking forward to continuing their run before it was interrupted.
Most consider OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the MVP at this point in the season but Jokic is once again putting up incredible numbers. He averages a triple-double with nearly 30 points, 12.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting 57.7 percent from the field. Jokic closed the first half with a 26-15-10 triple double in a win over Portland, his fifth in seven games leading to the break. He could have a big night against a Lakers squad lacking up front.
The Nuggets are also getting production from former Laker Russell Westbrook, who has fit in seamlessly. Russ missed some time with a hamstring injury before the break but he’s expected to return. Westbrook is averaging 13.0 points and 6.4 assists and has embraced his role as a complementary player to Jokic. Denver has had LA’s number winning nine of the last 10 meetings, including a five-game playoff series win last year and I like them to continue their dominance.
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