Basketball odds - Why Lakers will end Nuggets' season on the road
As far as NBA championship odds go, the Lakers have been at or near the top all season, and after a surprisingly tough series against Houston, they’ve recovered some of their swagger as they take a 3-2 series lead into Game 6 on Friday night. Online sports book odds are backing the Nuggets by 4.5 points at home, but the Lakers’ performance in Game 5 may have been enough to demoralize Denver.
NBA Championship odds: Lakers to take down the Nuggets
- Five Lakers were in double figures in Game 5
- Nuggets don’t have enough confidence to carry through
- If Lakers can gain enough fouls on the Nuggets, the game is done
Lakers Nuggets odds – Friday, May 29, 9:00 PM ET
The Nuggets shot 38.6% from the floor in Game 5’s 103-94 loss, and J.R. Smith was the worst culprit, going 3-of-13 off the bench. Carmelo Anthony led the way with a game-high 31 points, but he was inexplicably on the bench for a key fourth-quarter run by the Lakers, a mistake on the part of coach George Karl. Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin were next with 12 points apiece for the Nuggets, who hung with the Lakers until the fourth, but they looked nervous during the last 12 minutes, and Los Angeles took full advantage of it.
The Lakers had five players in double figures, led by Kobe Bryant’s 22 points, and he also had eight assists to go with seven turnovers. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom dominated the paint with a pair of double-doubles, combining for 33 points and 24 boards. Both players complained in the media that the Lakers were going away from their inside game, and they got plenty of chances to prove themselves. The Lakers shot 48.7% from the floor, and it was an 11-0 run to start the fourth that gave them the upper hand.
NBA odds are favoring the Nuggets at home by 4.5 points, but some questionable coaching decisions and a tough fourth quarter may have killed Denver’s confidence. The Lakers’ supporting cast took some of the pressure off of Bryant, and they’ll need to be even better at the Pepsi Center because the Denver fans will be hostile, to say the least. Going to Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the paint early to get Denver in foul trouble would be the best play for the Lakers, and if they’re close in the fourth, it’ll be time for Bryant to go into “Black Mamba” mode, and that will be the end for the Nuggets.
Basketball odds pick: Lakers
For more basketball odds, head over to the online sports book at BetOnline.com.
Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing: sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
