The Los Angeles Lakers came into game one against the Denver Nuggets looking to right the ship and finally get a playoff win against the defending champions but ultimately came up short and now they will look to even the series when they stay in Denver to play game two in this Monday night playoff showdown. We take a look at this matchup to make a Lakers-Nuggets prediction and pick.

(Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers (49-36) got off to a roaring start in game one against the Denver Nuggets. They were up as much as 12 points during the first half but then the same song and dance happened as the Nuggets crushed the Laker's hopes in the second half.

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LeBron James and Anthony Davis did all they could do by putting the team on their backs combining for 59 of their 103 points. It was the lack of efficiency from their supporting cast that did them in as the Lakers shot a measly 28% from 3-point range. The Lakers also had a tough time on the defensive side of the ball as the starting five for the Nuggets were just impossible for them to stop.

The Lakers will need to do some soul-searching if they want to even the series when they head back to Los Angeles after this Monday-night playoff matchup.

Denver Nuggets (58-25) took a bit of time to get going in the first half against the Lakers in game one after resting during the Play-In Tournament.

Once that first half was over then things started to pick up for the Nuggets who dominated the 3rd quarter and didn't let up down the stretch. The former MVP Nikola Jokic was damn near unstoppable scoring 32 points on 15-23 from the floor to go along with 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and two steals.

The Nuggets starting five were a well-oiled machine throughout the game where all five players scored in double figures. The defending champions will be looking to keep their momentum rolling when they play host to the Lakers in game two before they head out west to Los Angeles for game three of the series.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS FANDUEL ODDS FOR ARR. 22

MONEY LINE

• LOS ANGELES LAKERS: +240
• DENVER NUGGETS: -295

SPREAD

• LOS ANGELES LAKERS: +7 (-108)
• DENVER NUGGETS: -7 (-112)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER 224 (-108)
• UNDER 224 (-112)

BEST ODDS FOR LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS

• The Denver Nuggets are -7-point favorites against the Los Angeles Lakers. FanDuel currently has the best odds at -7 (-112)
• The Los Angeles Lakers are the underdogs by 7 points to cover the spread. DraftKings currently has the best odds at +7.5 (-108)

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• BetRivers currently has the best odds for the total, which is set at 223.5 (-108) for the over, and (-112) for the under

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS INJURY REPORT

LOS ANGELES LAKERS INJURY REPORT

• CAM REDDISH - QUES MON - ANKLE
• JARRED VANDERBILT - OUT - FOOT
• JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO - OUT - BACK
• CHRISTIAN WOOD - OUT - KNEE

DENVER NUGGETS INJURY REPORT

• VLATKO CANCAR - OUT FOR SEASON -? KNEE

WHY LOS ANGELES LAKERS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Los Angeles Lakers looked like they were poised to finally get over the hump against their rivals the Denver Nuggets after an early first-half run that had them up 12 points. However, the Nuggets stormed back in a big way in the second half as the Lakers just ran out of steam.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were two men possessed in game one and will need to continue to carry the load if they want to have an ounce of a chance of winning at all against the defending champions.

In game one, James went off for 27 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds while Davis had 32 points, 5 assists, and 14 rebounds and both played over 40 minutes. They need that third person aka D'Angelo Russell to step up and be that third scoring option and lockdown defender.

Russell's 13 points in game one aren't going to cut it and if he can get back to regular season form the Lakers could push to game three in Los Angeles tied one game a piece.

WHY DENVER NUGGETS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Denver Nuggets were a bit rusty at the beginning of game one but settled in after the first half. In that second half, the Nuggets reminded everyone why they are the defending champions and why they should be considered one of the top teams to win it all again this season.

The Nuggets simply have the best starting five in all of the NBA.

They not only have the former and front-runner for MVP Nikola Jokic but they have a starting cast that consists of Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. Each player averages over 10 points per game and that was no different in game one against the Lakers where they all scored in double digits while Jokic (32 points) and Murray (22 points) led the way.

The way the Nuggets have been efficient on both offense and defense makes them a tough test for any team in the league especially for the Lakers who certainly have their number. If the Nuggets can just keep their momentum going they should have no issue covering the spread yet again in this Monday night playoff matchup.

FINAL LAKERS-NUGGETS PICK & PREDICTION

The Los Angeles Lakers certainly aren't an easy out for any team in the playoffs. However, they got paired up with their kryptonite which happens to be the defending NBA champions the Denver Nuggets. We can expect LeBron James and Anthony Davis to have themselves a game but the lack of depth behind those two will be their demise yet again.

It will be close until the Nuggets pull away down the stretch as they've done so time and time again. The Nuggets are a team that I would consistently back as a favorite and will continue to do so in this Monday-night playoff matchup.

FINAL LAKERS-NUGGETS PICK & PREDICTION: DENVER NUGGETS -7 (-112)

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