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Mixed martial arts Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Bet Builder Tips: 3.40 Builder for Game 2 of the WC Finals
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Bet Builder Tips: Thursday, May 18th
Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers takes place tonight at Ball Arena starting at 01:30 (UK time). The Denver Nuggets got away with a 6-point victory last time out, but Darvin Ham and his squad will be returning with a whole new game plan.
We’re heading to bet365 to create a bet builder for tonight’s clash. Although we can include as many as 12 legs using this feature, including points, rebounds, and made threes, 2 were more than enough to give us some solid betting value in a builder at 3.56 odds.
Bet365’s Early payout feature applies to basketball builders, so if you pick a team in the moneyline market and they go up by 18 at any point of the game, the pick is automatically counted as a winner. You can also select Live Alerts and be the first to know when something happens.
In this article:
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Fri, May 19th. 01:30 (UK time)
With a victory in Game 1 under their belt, the Denver Nuggets are ahead, but not by much. Despite gaining a huge 18-point lead in the third quarter, they allowed the Lakers to come back within striking distance and the game finished 132-126. It was complete domination in the first 3 quarters by the home team, but the Lakers showed why they are one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs, mounting a huge comeback in the 4th quarter and almost entirely shutting down Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets are 2nd favourites to win the NBA Championship this year at 2.50 odds, and it’s easy to see why. Nikola Jokic has been playing out of his mind once again, averaging a triple-double with 31.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. But it hasn’t just been the Joker this year, no sir! The entire Nuggets team is finally healthy and fit to play this season, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr playing at the top of their game, but they are also getting a lot of contribution from their role players. We are finally getting to see what coach Mike Malone is capable of doing with this Nuggets team and the basketball they are playing is amazing to watch.
On the flip side, the Los Angeles Lakers have also been playing out of their minds this postseason, and there is a reason why I backed them to keep this series close with +1.5 in the handicap. This isn’t your typical Lebron James team we have gotten used to seeing over the better part of the past decade since he left the Miami Heat. The Los Angeles Lakers are getting reliable contributions from their entire team, with Diangelo Russell, Lonnie Walker, Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura playing a crucial part in the team’s success. They have been playing better and better as the playoffs have moved along, easily getting past the Memphis Grizzlies and upsetting the Golden State Warriors in a 6-game series.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Bet Builder
With Game 1 out of the way, what have we learned and what can we expect tonight?
Well, as good as both teams have been on the defensive end this postseason, it seems like both offences are unstoppable and both coaches have got a lot of work to do ahead of Game 1. The 158 combined points total isn’t something we are used to seeing in the playoffs, but I don’t expect this to change much at Ball Arena.
The Nuggets know that despite being able to play some defence, their bread and butter is always going to be their scoring output. This isn’t going to change and when they play in Denver, their offence is always going to be effective. The Lakers will have to keep up and keep a high number of possessions. This is why we expect another high-scoring night between these two sides.
We have also learned that playing Rui Hachimura on Nikola Jokic with Anthony Davis roaming the paint can be an effective way to slow down the Nugget’s offence. Although we only saw a brief glimpse of this in the 4th quarter, both the Celtics and 76ers have successfully utilized similar tactics, and we can expect coach Darvin Ham to attempt something similar tonight. However, there is a reason why Jokic is a 2-time MVP, and his passing ability is definitely a huge factor. 10.1 assists per game in the playoffs is something we could expect out of a point guard and if Jokic gets pressured heavily, those dimes are going to be dropping.
21 rebounds in Game 1 over Anthony Davis is an amazing feat. The small-ball approach definitely won’t be working against the Nuggets, especially with Jokic on the court, and this is exactly why. The Nuggets won the battle by 47-30 while grabbing 15 offensive rebounds compared to the Lakers’ 5. The Nuggets definitely have an advantage on the board and Jokic’s motor has been impressive, to say the least. We expect him to have a productive night in terms of assists and rebounds.
- Over 226.5 Total Points
- Nikola Jokic Over 24.5 Total Assists & Rebounds
Odds as at 2:00 pm May 18th, 2023. Odds may now differ.
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