Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Game 4: Western Conference Playoffs – First round
The defending champions Denver Nuggets will try to sweep the Los Angeles Lakers for the second year in a row in Game 4 at crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Can the Lakers finally beat the Nuggets?
The Los Angeles Lakers made it to the Western Conference finals last year just to be swept by the Denver Nuggets, and now we are on the verge of ending the season the same way as in the opening round. The Lakers had a 20-point lead in Game 2, which looked quite promising, but now they are 3-0 down. They had control of the first half in Game 3, but things fell apart in the second half. Anthony Davis had 33 points and LeBron James scored 26, but despite the great performances of their top two stars, the Lakers were not close to winning the game.
The Nuggets are the team to beat in the West
The Denver Nuggets took their game to another level when the playoff started. The defending champions know what they need to do to go deep in the playoffs, and they are having fun while winning. The Nuggets have full control of the series after a 112-105 win in Game 3. Four Nuggets starters scored over 20 points in that one, led by Aaron Gordon with 29 points and 15 rebounds. Nikola Jokic finished one assist short of a triple-double, finishing with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Betting Trends
The Nuggets have won the last 11 games against the Lakers. Denver is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 games overall, 7-1 ATS in the last 8 games against the Lakers and 5-0 ATS in the last five games against them in Los Angeles. The Lakers are 8-4 ATS in the last 12 games played on Saturday.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Denver Nuggets have won the last 11 games against the Lakers, which speaks to their dominance against the team in “purple and gold.” The Nuggets look so good on the court, as their game goes so smoothly and they keep the same pace for the entire 48 minutes. What does not give any hope to the Lakers is the fact that Anthony Davis and LeBron James put up big numbers, but that is simply not enough to beat the Nuggets. Things will not change tonight, and the Nuggets will close out the series with a win covering the -3.5-point spread.
