On Thursday, the Denver Nuggets (1-0) and the LA Lakers (0-1) will play each other in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. The matchup will take place at the Ball Arena. In Game 1 of the series, the Denver Nuggets snatched a 132-126 win against the LA Lakers to secure a perfect start. The Denver Nuggets are looking for another home victory, but the LA Lakers are determined to even the score. A win for the visitors would give them a boost before heading back to their arena.

Form Denver Nuggets

The 132-126 victory saw the Denver Nuggets improve their past 10-game record against the LA Lakers to 6-4. They’ve won 62 of their 94 matches this season, going 41-7 at the Ball Arena alone.

The Denver Nuggets have one of the NBA’s most potent offenses. Entering Thursday’s game, the hosts are averaging an impressive 116.0 points per game. The Denver Nuggets have kept their opponents to an average of 111.9 points per game and 108.7 points when playing at home.

The Denver Nuggets had been regarded as a legitimate challenger in the Western Conference playoffs, and they certainly proved themselves to be. After some tough matches, they have now earned their spot in the finals, leaving their supporters on the brink of anticipation.

The only reported injury concern for the Denver Nuggets is Collin Gillespie.

Nikola Jokic has been one of the standout performers in the postseason. In addition to leading Denver Nuggets in scoring with 31 points, he also boasts an impressive average of 13.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists.

Form LA Lakers

The LA Lakers are feeling the heat after a 132-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Adding salt to their wounds, the team is also facing the challenge of breaking a three-game losing streak on the road.

On Thursday, the LA Lakers are off to the Denver Nuggets with an impressive scoring average of 116.6 points over their 96 matches this season. The LA Lakers have been less successful at keeping their opponents from scoring recently, allowing 110.4 points in the last five matches and 115.4 points over the course of the season.

The LA Lakers are causing a basketball frenzy during the NBA playoffs. They’ve proven doubters wrong by securing a spot in the highly anticipated Western Conference Finals, a feat not many saw coming.

Mohamed Bamba is the only reported injury concern for the LA Lakers ahead of Thursday’s game.

LeBron James has been tearing it in the postseason. The LA Lakers star is more than a scoring machine with 24.1 points in 14 playoff and play-in games. He’s a triple threat, having also grabbed an average of 10.1 rebounds per game and dishing out assists like nobody’s business with 5.6 per game.

H2H

The LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets split their regular season series right down the middle with two wins each. The Denver Nuggets used the home-court advantage at the Ball Arena to gain a one-game lead in the playoff series, beating the LA Lakers 132-126.

Nikola Jokic snagged 21 rebounds in a stellar triple-double performance in the most recent matchup. The Denver Nuggets star added 34 points and dished out a further 14 assists. Anthony Davis shined with an impressive performance of his own. The LA Lakers player had a double-double, recording a team-high of 40 points and ten rebounds.

In their last ten contests, the Denver Nuggets scored an average of 119.6 points per game, while the LA Lakers conceded an average of 113.9 points.

Betting

Bet365.com has the betting odds for the Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers matchup on Thursday. Check the link here for a full list of bets.

• Moneyline (ML): LA Lakers (+185) | Denver Nuggets (-225)
• Against the spread (ATS): LA Lakers +5.5 (-105) | Denver Nuggets -5.5 (-115)
• Over/Under (O/U): 226.5 (-110) | (-110)

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Moneyline

Bet on the Denver Nuggets to win (1.44) on the moneyline.

The Denver Nuggets come into Thursday’s matchup on a high, having won their last three matches. This streak of success extends to their last nine games at Ball Arena, which all ended in victory. The oddsmakers are sold, setting the moneyline odds at -225, giving the home team an 69% chance of winning. The LA Lakers are not expected to come out victorious in their next game after suffering an 132-126 defeat against the Denver Nuggets in their previous match. Over the last 10 games, they have had a 6-4 record, keeping them in fair shape. Unfortunately, the odds are not in their favor with +185, making them the definite underdogs in this away game.

If you are interested in betting on the game happening at the Ball Arena, it is recommended to go with the Denver Nuggets, as they are offering -225 to win. Their performance in the last 10 matches is 7-3, and for the entire season, they have a record of 62-32.

Against the Spread

Go for the Denver Nuggets -5.5 (1.87) if you’re looking for a safe bet.

The Denver Nuggets are tipped to win Thursday’s matchup, boasting a 5.5-point lead over the LA Lakers. In the last five matches the Denver Nuggets played against the LA Lakers at home, they won four of them with an average margin of victory of 16.8 points.

This season, the Denver Nuggets have gone 50-41-1 ATS in all games. Their record at the Ball Arena is 30-17-1 ATS. In their past ten matches, the Denver Nuggets beat the spread five times. They scored 117.5 points per game on average, while their opponents averaged 110.6 points.

The LA Lakers have successfully covered in four of their past five games, bringing their record for the season to 49-45-1 ATS. In their last ten games, the LA Lakers had success covering seven of them. Specifically in Western Conference matchups, they achieved a 52-61 ATS record recently.

Over/Under

Take the Total over 226.5 (1.91) for the best over/under bet

The Denver Nuggets and the LA Lakers have a history of high-scoring matches, having averaged 233.5 points in their ten most recent meetings. The last five matches at the Ball Arena saw an average of 242.8 points.

The combined points total of the Denver Nuggets and the LA Lakers in their last ten matches exceeded the 226.5 line set eight times. Betting Over on the Total market this Thursday returns odds of -110.

The Denver Nuggets are 44-47 O/U against the total this season. Their record at the Ball Arena is 20-27 O/U. The Denver Nuggets had a record of 21-15 O/U when facing teams from the Pacific Division in their most recent matchups. They are 6-4 O/U in their last ten games overall.

The LA Lakers have an 49-45 O/U record this season, following a streak of three games that all went above the line. The visitors have gone 24-14 O/U in their most recent matchups against Northwest teams. They are 6-4 O/U in their last ten games overall.