Death, taxes, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 1 was no exception, and the reigning NBA champions will look to keep that streak alive in Game 2 at Ball Arena on Monday night.
Let's put together a same-game parlay and win some money.
(Related Link) Lakers vs. Nuggets First Round Preview, Betting Odds
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Game 2
Matchup Page: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets ATS -7 | -108 |
| Jamal Murray OVER 24.5 Points | -118 |
| D'Angelo Russell OVER 16.5 Points | -111 |
| Overall | +478 |
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 1: Denver Nuggets ATS -7
Having defeated the Lakers four-straight times in the regular season and now five-straight times in the playoffs, any loss by Denver to their opposition at this point would have to be viewed as a pretty major upset. Los Angeles hasn't beaten the Nuggets since Dec. 16, 2022.
The Lakers led by as many as 12 points in Game 1, but Denver negated all of that progress by outscoring Los Angeles 32-18 in the third quarter and completely removed LeBron James from the equation in the final quarter as the 39-year-old megastar didn't even take a shot during that time until there was just 1:20 to go in the game.
The Nuggets were 23-3 at home in 2023-24 when favored by seven or more points, and while they were only 14-11-1 ATS, they did cover in four of their last five attempts under said criteria. Los Angeles had a ton of momentum early in Game 1 which was ripped away in convincing fashion, so it will be better off the further out of sight and out of mind that performance is. Regardless, it may not be enough to exorcise its demons in the Mile High City before the series shifts to Crypto.com Arena.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 2: Jamal Murray OVER 24.5 Points
Visions of Nikola Jokic have made camp in the Lakers' nightmares, but the same rings true for Jamal Murray, whose dominance against Los Angeles dating back to last year's Western Conference finals carried over into Game 1.
Murray had 22 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists in 39 minutes, but he left room for improvement after shooting just 9-of-24 from the field. He scored 30 or more points in three of the four wins during Denver's sweep of Los Angeles, and averaged 24.7 points across three meetings this past regular season.
There's a different mode Murray clicks into come the playoffs, perhaps wearing the chip of having never been an All-Star on his shoulder. With so much attention drawn in by his MVP teammate, Murray will capitalize on the extra breathing room as the Lakers continue to have zero answer for the star-studded dynamic duo.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 3: D'Angelo Russell OVER 16.5 Points
Jokingly, of course, the Nuggets' best players in Game 1 were Murray, Jokic, and D'Angelo Russell, whose inefficiency did the Lakers no favors.
His plus-minus of +2, which made Russell the only starter with a positive rating, was incredibly misleading. The 28-year-old shot 6-of-20 from the field and hit just one of his nine attempts from 3-point range to finish with only 13 points in 41 minutes of action.
Such a tepid box score has oddsmakers reluctant to push his OVER/UNDER player prop for scoring beyond 16.5 points, which creates opportunity for bettors. Russell had 21 points in the play-in tournament win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and registered 17 points on March 2 against Denver on a decent 46.2 percent clip.
The hot and cold nature of his offense is frustrating for bettors, but the Lakers desperately need a third option to step up behind James and Anthony Davis. There's no better time than the present for Russell.
