The Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets will meet for the second time this season, with both teams coming off victories. The Lakers are hoping to get one more road win before going back to Tinseltown for a six-game homestand while the Nuggets are eyeing to extend their win streak to 10 contests.

Catch this game live on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 9:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Los Angeles Lakers (33-21, 14-14 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luka Doncic (Probable)
  • Austin Reaves
  • Rui Hachimura
  • LeBron James (Probable)
  • Jaxson Hayes

Are things back to normal for the Lakers? After consecutive losses to the Utah Jazz (131-119) and to the Charlotte Hornets (100-97), LeBron James & Co. prevented a three-game skid in a 110-102 takedown of the Portland Trail Blazers on the road on Friday. And they did that without Luka Doncic, who sat out to rest up his calf. There is a good chance that Doncic returns to the lineup this Sunday, but it’s still tough to expect him to be the old Doncic that we know, as he continues to get back to his MVP form. 

Meanwhile, James is on a heater after dropping 40 points on 14-for-24 shooting in the Trail Blazers game. The same can be said about Austin Reaves, who just went off for 32 points against Portland. Reaves is doing a decent job being the Robin to James’ Batman while the Lakers await for Doncic to be, well, Doncic again. Over his last five games, Reaves has averaged 24.4 points  

The Lakers are 5-4-1 against the spread in their last 10 games in Denver.

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Home: Denver Nuggets (37-19, 20-8 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Russell Westbrook
  • Jamal Murray (Probable)
  • Michael Porter Jr.
  • Aaron Gordon (Probable )
  • Nikola Jokic

The Nuggets are the hottest team in the NBA right now, having stitched together nine wins in a row. However, eight of those victories came in games against teams outside the Play-in tournament picture, including the Nuggets’ 129-115 drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets at home on Friday. Nevertheless, Denver is clearly a team capable of beating any opponent on any given day. 

With Nikola Jokic leading the Nuggets and Jamal Murray finding his form, the Nuggets have averaged 126.6 points on a 53.6 field goal percentage in their last 10 outings. Jokic has put up 28.7 points (59.9 FG%) in that span while Murray has produced 27.8 points (55.2 FG%) in his last nine games. Murray’s partly known for his exploits against the Lakers, though, he only had 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting in Denver’s 127-102 win over LA last November. Jokic, on the other hand, pummeled the Lakers then for 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists while going 12-for-20 from the floor.

The Nuggets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

Picks

Spread: Denver Nuggets (-7.0)

Over/Under: Under (241.0)

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