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Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3 Picks, Odds | NBA Playoffs Prediction

Michael Crosson
Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3 Picks, Odds | NBA Playoffs Prediction

The 2024 NBA Playoffs continue with a solid 3-game slate this Thursday -- and the final matchup of the evening we'll preview is Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 3, which is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT.

The Lakers are 1-point home underdogs on the spread in Thursday's contest, while the total is set at over/under 216 total points at DraftKings.

Here's everything you need to know about Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 3 -- the latest betting odds, as well as our expert picks and prediction for the NBA Playoffs on Thursday, April 25.

For more basketball action, check out our NBA odds.

Nuggets vs Lakers Odds

DEN @ LAL Odds

  • Full Game
  • 1H
  • 1Q
  • 2Q
  • 3Q
  • 4Q
  • Spread
  • Total
  • Moneyline
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-1 -112 +2.5 -110 +2.5 -110 +2.5 -110 +2.5 -120 +0.5 +128 +2.5 -113 +2.5 -120 +1.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
+1 -108 -2.5 -110 -2.5 -110 -2.5 -110 -2.5 -110 -0.5 -158 -2.5 -113 -2.5 -110 -1.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
o216.5 -110 o111.5 -110 N/A o111.5 -110 o111.5 -115 o111.5 -114 o111.5 -107 o111.5 -115 o217.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
u216.5 -110 u111.5 -110 N/A u111.5 -110 u111.5 -115 u111.5 -106 u111.5 -122 u111.5 -115 u217.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-118 N/A +135 +130 +135 +138 +130 N/A +104  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
-100 N/A -165 -155 -160 -170 -165 N/A -122  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-1 -112 -2 -110 N/A N/A N/A N/A -1.5 -108 N/A +1.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
+1 -108 +2 -110 N/A N/A N/A N/A +1.5 -121 N/A -1.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
o216.5 -110 o106 -110 N/A N/A N/A N/A o105.5 -122 N/A o217.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
u216.5 -110 u106 -110 N/A N/A N/A N/A u105.5 -109 N/A u217.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-118 N/A N/A N/A N/A -106 -121 N/A +104  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
-100 N/A N/A N/A N/A -114 -107 N/A -122  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-1 -112 +1.5 -110 +1.5 -105 +1.5 -110 +1.5 -125 +0.5 +104 +1.5 -118 +1.5 -120 +1.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
+1 -108 -1.5 -110 -1.5 -115 -1.5 -110 -1.5 -105 -0.5 -128 -1.5 -108 -1.5 -110 -1.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
o216.5 -110 o55.5 -110 N/A o55.5 -108 N/A o55.5 -122 o55.5 -117 o55.5 -115 o217.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
u216.5 -110 u55.5 -110 N/A u55.5 -112 N/A u55.5 -104 u55.5 -112 u55.5 -115 u217.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-118 N/A +130 +130 +115 +118 +117 N/A +104  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
-100 N/A -160 -155 -147 -144 -150 N/A -122  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-1 -112 +0.5 -115 N/A +1 -110 +1.5 -125 +0.5 -105 +1.5 -120 +1.5 -120 +1.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
+1 -108 -0.5 -115 N/A -1 -110 -1.5 -105 -0.5 -115 -1.5 -109 -1.5 -105 -1.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
o216.5 -110 o55.5 -115 N/A o55.5 -118 N/A o55.5 -122 o55.5 -110 o55.5 -110 o217.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
u216.5 -110 u55.5 -115 N/A u55.5 -102 N/A u55.5 -104 u55.5 -121 u55.5 -120 u217.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-118 N/A N/A +114 N/A +108 +116 N/A +104  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
-100 N/A N/A -135 N/A -132 -148 N/A -122  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-1 -112 -1 -115 N/A -1 -112 -0.5 -120 -0.5 -106 -1.5 -110 -0.5 -115 +1.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
+1 -108 +1 -115 N/A +1 -108 +0.5 -110 +0.5 -114 +1.5 -118 +0.5 -110 -1.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
o216.5 -110 o53 -115 N/A o53.5 -105 N/A o52.5 -100 o53.5 -106 o53.5 -105 o217.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
u216.5 -110 u53 -115 N/A u53.5 -115 N/A u52.5 -128 u53.5 -125 u53.5 -125 u217.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-118 N/A N/A -135 -128 -122 -150 N/A +104  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
-100 N/A N/A +114 even -100 +118 N/A -122  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-1 -112 -0.5 -115 N/A -0.5 -110 -0.5 -125 +0.5 -122 +1.5 -148 -0.5 -120 +1.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
+1 -108 +0.5 -115 N/A +0.5 -110 +0.5 -105 -0.5 -100 -1.5 +112 +0.5 -105 -1.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
o216.5 -110 o52.5 -115 N/A o51.5 -120 N/A o52.5 -108 o52.5 -121 o52.5 -115 o217.5 -110  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
u216.5 -110 u52.5 -115 N/A u51.5 even N/A u52.5 -120 u52.5 -110 u52.5 -110 u217.5 -110  
Final
Denver Nuggets 529 Nuggets
-118 N/A N/A -118 N/A -108 -106 N/A +104  
Los Angeles Lakers 530 Lakers
-100 N/A N/A -102 N/A -112 -121 N/A -122  

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Nuggets vs Lakers Picks & Prediction

Man, the Lakers had us all fooled for a second in Game 2, didn’t they?

In Game 2 this past Monday, it looked like the Lakers were destined to tie up the series against the defending champs and send it back to Los Angeles for Game 3 tied 1-1. The Lakers went to halftime of Monday’s contest leading Denver by a score of 59-44, and they managed to carry an 8-point lead all the way to the 5:10 mark of the fourth quarter, only to have their long-held quickly erased in the final minutes and lose by way of a game-winning buzzer beater by Jamal Murray.

Denver’s comeback victory in Game 2 wasn’t about the Nuggets being the more talented team (although they are). It was all about effort – and at the risk of sounding cliche, Denver simply wanted it more than the Lakers did in the fourth quarter of Monday’s contest. The Nuggets didn’t bomb a bunch of late threes (1-4 3FG). They didn’t get half of their fourth-quarter points from the free throw line (5 FTM). They simply took 20 shots from the field and made 65% of them, spearheaded by their two best players combining for 21 points on 9-of-13 from the field in the final stanza – and that’s just lazy defense on LAL’s part.

However, as frustrating as the Lakers’ latest collapse was, I believe Monday’s loss was actually an encouraging sign for a LAL team that has now lost 10 straight matchups (3-7 ATS) against Denver dating back to January 2023.

The Nuggets are no strangers to mental lapses early in the playoffs. As dominant as their run through the WCF and Finals was – winning both series in a total of nine games – Denver actually struggled a little bit out of the gate last postseason.

The Nuggets lost one game to Minnesota in the opening round of last year’s playoffs, and then barely escaped with a victory in Game 5 via a final score of 112-109. Then they lost two road games to Phoenix in the second round before catching fire and winning 10-of-11 games the rest of the way to win the title. None of those losses came at home though, as the Nuggets posted a perfect record of 6-0 at Ball Arena in the first two rounds of last year’s playoffs, with five of those six wins coming by margins of 9+ points.

The Lakers and Nuggets met three times during the regular season, and Denver won all three of those contests by margins of 8+ points, with two of those victories coming on the road – which isn’t exactly par for the course for a Nuggets team that went 33-8 at home and 24-17 away this season, and 34-7 at home and 19-22 away last season.

I must admit, this probably isn’t the wisest decision I’ve ever made. Betting on a team that has lost 10 straight head-to-head matchups against the upcoming opponent may feel very dumb in retrospect. But the Lakers have shown they can hang with these guys, even in games away from their home building, they just need to play a complete game – and after such a heartbreaking defeat their last time out, I think we may see the transition in homecourt advantage finally push LAL over the edge against Denver in Game 3.

Pick: Lakers +1 (-110)

Click this link for picks and predictions for all First Round NBA Playoff matchups!

Nuggets vs Lakers Game Time & TV Channel

Date: Thursday, April 25
Matchup: Pacific vs Northwest
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Time-TV: TNT, 10:00 p.m. ET

Nuggets vs Lakers Betting Stats

2) Denver Nuggets
(2nd Place, Northwest)

  • Odds to Win Finals: +260
  • Odds to Win Conference: +105
  • Odds to Win Series: -2000
  • SU: 57-25
  • ATS: 39-43
  • O/U: 35-47
  • PPG: 114.9
  • OPPG: 109.6

Click this link for the latest betting trends and market movements leading up to the NBA Finals!

7) Los Angeles Lakers
(3rd Place, Pacific)

  • Odds to Win Finals: +10000
  • Odds to Win Conference: +3000
  • Odds to Win Series: +920
  • SU: 49-33
  • ATS: 44-38
  • O/U: 36-45-1
  • PPG: 118.0
  • OPPG: 117.4

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson
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