Monday, May 20, 2024

Lakers-Nuggets picks, NBA playoffs best bets: Denver defends home court, but Nikola Jokic’s assist numbers dip


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With the NBA playoffs neatly underway, the basketball making a bet marketplace is heating up. CBS Sports is offering day-to-day choices all the way through the postseason. Sam Quinn will make no less than one pick out for each and every sport main as much as the NBA finals. All traces courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

Featured Game | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

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The Lakers received their closing two highway Game 1’s, but they did so beneath specific cases which can be not likely to copy themselves. Ja Morant were given harm in Game 1 in opposition to the Grizzlies, and at the moment, the Nuggets are fully wholesome. The Lakers had a two-day relaxation benefit in opposition to the Warriors, but the Nuggets have a one-day relaxation benefit over the Lakers. This sport it is going to be performed on a extra stage taking part in box, aside from the Lakers should adapt to the altitude in Denver. They’ll produce other alternatives to win at the highway on this collection, but the Nuggets will have to be liked in Game 1. The Pick: Nuggets -5.5

Denver’s collection in opposition to Phoenix used to be an offensive masterclass, and the Nuggets will have to be capable of ranking conveniently in opposition to any NBA protection. The swing workforce on this collection in relation to level totals would be the Lakers, and in the intervening time, I’m leaning towards offense on this matchup. The Lakers made the transfer from Jarred Vanderbilt to Dennis Schroder within the beginning 5 within the Golden State collection, and whilst I’d believe Vanderbilt begins in opposition to Denver, the Lakers have slowly shifted their rotation mins towards offense because the Warriors collection improved. Schroder and Lonnie Walker are each important position avid gamers at this level, so till Denver proves it will probably play a few of Darvin Ham’s lesser defenders off of the courtroom, the Lakers will proceed to journey the new arms. The Pick: Over 222.5

Nikola Jokic will get maximum of his assists in response to his gravity as a scorer. Teams are so frightened of him within the post that they ship assist when their crushed large males battle, and Jokic, being a number of the largest passers in NBA historical past, virtually at all times punishes them by means of discovering the open guy in reaction. The Lakers almost certainly may not double Jokic, regardless that. Anthony Davis shall be entrusted to deal with him one-on-one. Whether or now not that shall be sufficient is still noticed. Davis is a greater help-defender than a straight-up post-defender, so Jokic will have to nonetheless be capable of get his issues, but assists are any other

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