Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets 2010 NBA Preview, Odds, and Predictions: Head Coach Phil Jackson leads his two time defending NBA Championship Los Angeles Lakers to the Pepsi Center to take on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at 10:30 PM ET on TNT. The Nuggets are 4-4 in 4th place in the Northwest while the Lakers are a perfect 8-0 and 1st place in the Pacific. The Lakers look in playoff form but Jackson the “Zen Master” always puts the team in perspective. “You want to go back and try and figure out what you can do better,” Jackson said. “It’s not so much as a stopping point. We’re going to have losses, we know this is a long season. We know we are going to have losses. So in the process sometimes I tell the team maybe it would have been better if we had lost that game than win it. Because you think you’re OK because the end score was OK.” I have a feeling the Lakers are playing with a little more purpose early than usual do to the Miami Heat getting the majority of the attention in the offseason and the Champs being shunned. The odds makers at Diamond have the Los Angeles Lakers a -3 point favorite on the road against the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers were a winner at home with a uninspiring effort 99-94 over the Minnesota Timberwolves making them 5-3 against the spread for the season. Guard Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 33 points as well as 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Center Pau Gasol continued his stellar play pouring in 18 points with 10 rebounds and 3 assists for a double-double. Lamar Odom starting for injured Andrew Bynum scored 15 with 8 rebounds and forward Ron Artest chipped in 13 points 4 boards and 4 assists in the win. The LA Lakers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver. Vegas odds makers have the Los Angeles Lakers +230 to win the 2010-2011 NBA Championship.
The Nuggets are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Indiana Pacers 144-113 on the road. Denver gave up 54 points in the third quarter alone while the Pacers shot 20 for 21 in that span. “Hopefully we will use this to respond well to the Lakers Thursday,” head coach George Karl said. “This goes in the bad column. But we’ve had some good also. I’m not going to go negative.” Backup point guard Ty Lawson led all Nuggets with 19 points while Carmelo Anthony scored just 13. The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Denver’s last 10 games when playing at home against LA Lakers. Vegas odds makers have the over/under for the total score at 211 1/2 points combined of the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
I predict a Laker win on the road.