Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Game 3: Western Conference Playoffs – First round

The defending champions Denver Nuggets will try to go 3-0 up when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers at crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

Are the Nuggets the favorites to win this season?

The Denver Nuggets took a 2-0 lead in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers with Jamal Murray’s game-winner at the buzzer. The Nuggets point guard took over the game in the final minutes, leading the Nuggets to a 101-99 win after they were down by 20 points in the third quarter. Murray finished with 20 points and 5 assists, while Nikola Jokic added another triple-double with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. Michael Porter Jr. also had a solid night, scoring 22 points and 9 rebounds and shooting 6 of 10 from three-point territory.

The Lakers need to step up

The Los Angeles Lakers finished the regular season in seventh place in the Western Conference and made it to the playoffs after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans. They were aware that it would lead them to a matchup against the Denver Nuggets, the team that swept them in last year’s Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers came into Game 2 with nine consecutive losses to the Nuggets and were determined to end that losing streak. Things looked quite promising, but the Lakers blew a 20-point lead and are now 2-0 down in the series. Anthony Davis had 32 points and 11 rebounds on 14 of 19 shots from the field, and LeBron James added 26 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds.

Betting Trends

The Nuggets have won the last ten games against the Lakers. Denver is 6-1 SU in the last seven games overall, 9-3 SU in the last 12 games on the road and 5-0 SU in the last five games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles is 12-5 SU in the last 17 games overall and 2-4 SU in the last six games against teams from the Northwest Division.

Prediction and Conclusion

The window is closing for LeBron James and the Lakers, and this is undeniably a must-win game for them. Being 2-0 down after a heartbreaking Game 2 loss has broken their spirit to a certain point, but there is no doubt that LeBron James will go into beat mode and will demand the same from his teammates in Game 3. The only question is whether that would be enough to beat the Nuggets. Denver has won the last ten games against the Lakers and has a chance to get a comfortable lead tonight. Nikola Jokic is simply too good and unstoppable, and with Jamal Murray following his lead, the Nuggets are going 3-0 up tonight.