Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 3 odds, prediction: NBA Playoffs picks, best bets

As their NBA Western Conference playoff series shifts to Los Angeles, the Lakers are probably wondering how they’re down 2-0 to the Denver Nuggets.  In both games, Los Angeles (49%) shot better than Denver (45.3%), but turnovers (13.5 vs.6.5) have been a big problem. Yet, despite losing 10 straight games to the Nuggets, the Lakers narrowed the gap and had a chance to win Game 2 if not for a walk-off buzzer-beating jump shot by point guard Jamal Murray. While Denver continues to dominate this head-to-head series, there is one angle that should offer some value when betting on the Lakers.The Nuggets have yet to play their best basketball in this first-round series — probably because they don’t need to.

Denver can almost count on the Lakers to devise a new way to lose the game. In Game 2, Los Angeles built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, but it still wasn’t enough.There’s a certain calmness with this Nuggets team that comes from their collective trust in one another. I still recall Murray’s comments after Game 1 when he discussed why the Nuggets don’t seem to panic when they fall behind. “I just think we know what we want,” Murray said.“We’re not trying to do anything different.

We’re not trying to, like, make stuff up.”The Nuggets look to be the more confident team down the stretch, and they make sure that either Murray or Nikola Jokic touch the ball on the key possessions. With the Lakers going deep into their bag to find adjustments, Denver is almost using the first half of this series to feel its way through the game — similar to a boxer trying to gauge his opponent’s reach or punching power in the early rounds.It’s often when the Nuggets make their own counter-adjustments that they have the most success.Like every team in the NBA, the Lakers are having trouble slowing Jokic down.The two-time MVP finished with a triple-double and recorded his fourth career 25/20/10 performance in the postseason. Whether inside the p...