Nuggets vs Lakers Game 4 Picks, Odds | NBA Playoffs Prediction

Nuggets vs Lakers Game 4 Picks, Odds | NBA Playoffs Prediction

The 2024 NBA Playoffs continue with a jam packed 4-game slate this Saturday -- and the final matchup of the day we'll preview is Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 4, which is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Lakers are 3-point home underdogs on the spread in Saturday's contest, while the total is set at over/under 217.5 total points at DraftKings.

Here's everything you need to know about Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 4 -- the latest betting odds, as well as our expert picks and prediction for the NBA Playoffs on Saturday, April 27.

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Nuggets vs Lakers Odds

DEN @ LAL Odds

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Nuggets vs Lakers Picks & Prediction

Betting on the Lakers in Game 4 of this series goes against everything I believe in as a sports bettor, but I’m only doing it because we’re talking about a generational player in LeBron James with his back up against the wall – plus, the Nuggets are certainly no strangers to the occasional mental lapse early in the postseason.

As dominant as their run through last year’s WCF and Finals was – winning both series in a total of nine games – the Nuggets actually struggled a little bit out of the gate last postseason. The Nuggets lost a road 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. They also lost two road games to Phoenix in the second round before eventually 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 – and they’ve continued their overall postseason dominance with three straight wins over LAL to open this series. But, are they finally due for a slip-up?

The Lakers and Nuggets met three times during the regular season, and Denver won all three of those contests by 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. However, it does give them 11 straight head-to-head wins over the Lakers. So they might be onto something…

Game 1 of this series was a 7-point game with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. In Game 2, The Lakers went to halftime leading Denver by a score of 59-44 and carried an 8-point lead all the way to the 5:10 mark of the fourth quarter, only to have their long-held lead quickly erased in the final minutes and lose by way of a game-winning buzzer beater via Jamal Murray. In last year’s Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets beat LAL in four straight games, and three of those games were decided by six points or less. 

We aren’t seeing the Nuggets run them out of the building every time they meet. The Lakers have proven they can hang with these guys, even in games away from their home building. They just need to play a complete game, and somebody from the supporting cast needs to step up and hit a few shots because D’Angelo Russell clearly has no intentions of doing so, averaging just 12 points on 32.6% from the field in the first three games of this series.

Even if the Nuggets manage to complete their second straight playoff sweep of LAL this Saturday, there’s still a decent chance the Lakers cover the spread at +3 or +3.5, given the fact they covered +3 in 2-of-7 postseason meetings with Denver over the last two years. However, I think the Lakers may finally steal one in Game 4 – and if they do, I can’t wait to lay the points with Denver at home in Game 5.

Pick: Lakers +3 (-110)

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

Nuggets vs Lakers Game Time & TV Channel

Date: Saturday, April 27
Matchup: Pacific vs Northwest
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Time-TV: ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET

Nuggets vs Lakers Betting Stats

2) Denver Nuggets
(2nd Place, Northwest)

  • Odds to Win Finals: +210
  • Odds to Win Conference: -130
  • Odds to Win Series: -20000
  • 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!

7Los Angeles Lakers
(3rd Place, Pacific)

  • Odds to Win Finals: +24000
  • Odds to Win Conference: +13000
  • Odds to Win Series: +4000
  • SU: 49-33
  • ATS: 44-38
  • O/U: 36-45-1
  • PPG: 118.0
  • OPPG: 117.4

NBA Playoffs Betting Resources