Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets Game 2: Western Conference Playoffs – First round

The defending champions Denver Nuggets will try to go 2-0 up when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena on Monday.

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 110-106 on the road. They started well in the opening game of the series but failed in the second half. They shot almost 50% from the field, but that gave them no chance of winning. Anthony Davis had 32 points and LeBron James had 27, with both of them shooting over 50%. The rest of the team will have to step up in Game 2 if the Lakers want to get the series to LA with the score tied.

The Nuggets are the team to beat in the West

The Denver Nuggets picked up their form as the regular season was coming to an end, and it is obvious that they will take their game to another level when it matters the most. The Nuggets had full control of Game 1, and it seems like they played just well enough to take the lead in the series. Nikola Jokic was on his recognizable level, recording 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, and Jamal Murray had 22 points and 10 assists.

Betting Trends

The Nuggets have won the last nine games against the Lakers and have covered the spread in the last six. Denver is 5-1 ATS in the last six games overall and 4-1 ATS in the last five games against teams from the Western Conference. The Lakers are 2-4 ATS in the last six games overall and 1-5 ATS in the last six road games played on Monday.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Denver Nuggets look ready to repeat as NBA champions. They committed only four turnovers in the opening game of the series against the Lakers. The defending champions allowed the Lakers to shoot almost at 50%, but only six players on the team from LA scored in Game 1. The Nuggets coach, Mike Malone, has more players ready to go on his roster, and all of them seem happy with the given role. Nikola Jokic is doing everything on the court, and it seems like no matter what LeBron James or Anthony Davis do, it is just not good enough. The Nuggets swept the Lakers last year in the Western Conference Finals, and they will get one step closer to doing that again with a comfortable win, covering the -7.5-point spread tonight.