NBA Betting Preview: Nuggets at Lakers

The two best teams in the Western Conference meet on Friday in Los Angeles as the Lakers host the Denver Nuggets (10:35 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Don’t expect to see the two teams at full strength though, as Carmelo Anthony is not expected to play for the Nuggets and while Kobe Bryant may play for the Lakers he is not at full strength due to an ankle injury.

The Lakers are 8.5-point favorites at SBG Global and the total is set at 202.5.

The Nuggets had survived pretty well without Anthony in the lineup but that ended with a thud on Wednesday as they were blown out by the Phoenix Suns at home 109-97. Anthony has missed the last six games and probably won’t play until next week.

“I’m feeling a little better, but the loss didn’t make me feel better,” Anthony said, “I don’t know when I’m coming back, man. They’ve been saying that I’m going to play since last week. I know my body better than anyone.”

If Anthony does not return soon he may not play in the All-Star game either.

The Lakers are coming off a win over Charlotte on Wednesday as head coach Phil Jackson passed Pat Riley for the most wins as head coach of the Lakers. In that win, Kobe Bryant had just five points before leaving with an ankle injury. The Lakers had just returned home after an eight-game road trip and really didn’t play well but survived thanks to 19 points from Lamar Odom and double-digits from Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest.

Here are some key NBA betting stats for Friday’s game:

The Nuggets are 3-8-1 ATS in their last 12 road games. The Nuggets are 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight vs. the Pacific Division. The Nuggets are 3-12 ATS in the last 15 meetings at Los Angeles.

The Lakers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games. The Lakers are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. the Northwest.

The under is 6-1 in the Nuggets’ last seven road games. The under is 4-1 in the Nuggets’ last five overall. The under is 5-2 in the Lakers’ last seven vs. the Northwest. The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings between the two teams in Los Angeles.

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