The winless Los Angeles Lakers are making Lakers Nation all riled up. Can they stop the bleeding after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers, 106-94, last Monday? Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets are likewise looking for their way back into the win column after getting victimized by the Blazers as well in a 135-110 road loss Tuesday. Will Denver be the latest team to torch the Lakers?

Catch this game live on Thursday, October 27, at 10 am, Manila time

Away: Los Angeles Lakers (0-3/0-1 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

• PG: Russell Westbrook (doubtful)
• SG: Patrick Beverley
• SF: Lonnie Walker IV
• PF: LeBron James
• C: Anthony Davis

Lost amid all the talk about the villages Russell Westbrook has built with his bricks is the Lakers’ defense that is proving to be one of the best in the NBA right now. The Lakers are winless, but that’s more on their inability to knock down shots. Defensively, they are doing just fine. In fact, the Lakers are fourth in the league with just 104.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. 

Los Angeles is also top 10 in the league with opponents making just 45.2% of their shots. The Lakers should find their shots sooner than later, as they will inevitably regress toward the mean. That could start this Thursday against Denver’s Swiss cheese defense that is allowing teams to score 124.5 points per game – the worst in the league. The Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning home record.

Home: Denver Nuggets (2-2/1-0 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

• PG: Jamal Murray
• SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• SF: Michael Porter Jr. (questionable)
• PF: Aaron Gordon
• C: Nikola Jokic

The Nuggets have what LA doesn’t, and that’s excellent 3-point shooting. Well, basically every team in the league can brag about their 3-point shooting at a bar filled with Lakers fans, but Denver is much more special. The Nuggets are knocking down 13 threes per game on 41.6 3FG% – second-best in the NBA, so far this season.

Against the Blazers, Denver shot 12/31 from deep (38.7 3FG%), with Michael Porter Jr, and Bones Hyland hitting four apiece. Porter, however, is questionable for Thursday’s game due to maintenance. If Porter gets ruled out, the Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic, who scored 55 points and grabbed 30 rebounds in two games against the Lakers last season.

The Nuggets are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five home games against LA.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Lakers (+6) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The total (226.5) hits the Under.