Over the last two years, they have each shared three wins. Of the six games played, two have been in LA, where they both have a win apiece.
Both have been strong throughout the NBA regular season and, barring any real slides in form, both should be in the playoffs. Only their Western Conference rivals, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, have clinched a place so far. However, these two teams are next in the standings behind the Houston Rockets.
Quick Picks
Our pick: Lakers to win
Value bet: Doncic to have 30+ points
Long shot: Jokic to triple-double
Betting Preview
With both teams extremely competitive, it can be difficult to know exactly what might happen when they meet on Sunday.
The Lakers won the last time the two teams met in LA. In March 2025, they won 120-108, with Luka Doncic scoring 31 points. Austin Reaves had 22, while LeBron James didn't feature. Aaron Gordon had 26 for the Nuggets, while Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were both unavailable.
A game was played between these two just a few days ago, though, which may provide some insight. The Nuggets did win the last time they played, securing a 120-113 victory at home, however that stopped a skid of two games. Jokic and Murray both top-scored with 28 points, while Doncic had 27. James scored 16, as did Reaves.
Betting Markets to Watch
The NBA regular season form might be where it's worth looking to find value in this betting matchup. Before their matches entering this game, both shared a near-identical win-loss record.
The Lakers have been strong at home, going 21-12 as the hosts, while they are 27-16 against fellow Western Conference teams. The Nuggets were 22-13 on the road before their game against the Spurs and 24-14 against Conference opponents.
We think there'll be value worth exploring in the player prop bets more than anywhere else in this game because of how close-to-call it is on paper.
Our Prediction
Check the latest NBA betting odds at Sportsbet.
The player props are where we think the main betting value is in this game. If pushed, we'd say the Lakers' win is the most likely outcome, based on their home form and the last H2H in Los Angeles.
Doncic, Murray, and Jokic are all likely to be involved, as none of them appear on injury reports. Murray should offer value to have 20+ points, as his totals have been up and down over the last few games. Still, he managed 30 against the Rockets, so 20+ seems likely. Jokic should offer value for a triple-double in the NBA , leading the league with 25 so far this season.
Doncic continues to put up 30+ points in his recent games for the Lakers, so 30+ should offer value worth exploring in this one, having had 31 in the last home game against the Nuggets.
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