I hit on two of my three recommended prop bets for Game 3, with Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray clearing the bar on his points prop (in the first half!) and Austin Reaves sinking three three-pointers. However, the Los Angeles Lakers failed to show up in the first quarter as I had anticipated.
With a pivotal Game 4 approaching this Monday night, I’m eager to dig back into the props market and find more value.
Here are my best prop bets for Nuggets vs Lakers Game 4.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 4 Player Prop Odds
Use our NBA odds to locate the best ways to bet on playoff prop bets:
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 4 Player Props
Jamal Murray: Over 26.5 Points (-115) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
I suppose we should keep riding the Murray wave. The 26-year-old star had a monster showing in Game 3, scoring 30 in the first half alone en route to a 37-point performance.
This was Murray’s third straight 30-point game, and his fourth in his last seven. During that stretch, he’s hit the Over at this number five times, and he’s done it in eight of his 14 playoff games overall.
Seeing as how he’s averaging 35 points per game against the Lakers, who have yet to prove that they have an answer for him, asking Murray to score Over 26.5 in Game 4 feels like a gimme.
Lock in the Over at 26.5 points with your NBA bet of the day.
LeBron James: Over 34.5 Points + Rebounds (-105) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
James has struggled with his outside shot in this series, sinking just 15.8% of his three-pointers. Still, he’s been relatively effective as a scorer, averaging 23.7 points per game.
He’s also been a monster on the glass, which is where this prop comes into play. James has secured at least seven rebounds in each meeting, with a high of 12 in Game 1.
I fully expect him to be more aggressive with his shot in Game 4 with the season on the line, and as long as he scores in the ballpark of 30 points, it won’t take much effort on the glass to clear this Over at 34.5 points and rebounds.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 4 Team Props
Nuggets: Over 110.5 Points (-12o) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The Nuggets are averaging 119.7 points per game in this series and have hit the Over at this total in two out of three meetings, with the one Under coming when they scored 108 in Game 2. Overall, this is a mark that Denver has met in 10 of its 14 playoff games.
Tap into even more of our Western Conference Finals coverage:
A majority of the Nuggets’ misses in this department have been awfully close to this number, too. Three of their four Unders saw them come within a bucket of this mark, while their 97-point outing in Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns looks like a major outlier.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3 Props Preview
I went 1-2 on my recommended prop bets for Game 2 after a perfect 3-0 performance in Game 1. Anthony Davis didn’t live up to expectations, and the Denver Nuggets struggled to get their offense going in the first half.
With the series heading to Crypto.Com Arena for Games 3 and 4, I’m looking to get back on the board while the Los Angeles Lakers play for their first win in the series.
Here are my best prop bets for Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3 Player Prop Odds
Use our NBA odds to locate the best ways to bet on playoff prop bets:
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3 Player Props
Jamal Murray: Over 25.5 Points (-105) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
It’s clear that Murray is just as vital to Denver’s success in this series as Nikola Jokić. The Nuggets looked dead in the water in Game 2 until the 26-year-old guard came alive in the fourth quarter, logging 23 of his 37 points in the frame and nearly outscoring the Lakers (24 points) on his own.
Notching another heroic performance might be tough on the road, but this 25.5-point mark is right in his wheelhouse. Overall, Murray is averaging 27.2 points per game in the playoffs, and he’s scored at least 26 in eight of his 13 games.
Darvin Ham hasn’t yet found an answer for Murray, and I don’t think he’ll have any lightbulb moments before then, making this my NBA bet of the day.
Austin Reaves: Over 2.5 Three-Pointers (+140) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Nuggets coach Michael Malone will undoubtedly call for better coverage of Reaves heading into Game 3, but I’m not sure how much Denver can do about his shooting without easing up on Davis and LeBron James. The 24-year-old just finds ways to get open.
Reaves has been on a heater this series, too, going 5-for-9 from beyond the arc in each of the first two games. Overall, he’s made at least three threes in seven of 14 playoff games, including five straight.
The Lakers desperately need his shooting to stay alive in this series. James has seriously struggled to get things going from deep thus far, and D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schröder haven’t exactly been plus-players.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 3 Team Props
Lakers: 1st Quarter -2.5 (-110) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The Lakers have built some substantial first-quarter leads at home in the playoffs, most notably when they went up 35-9 on the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3 of their first-round series. And while I wouldn’t expect to see something like that happen again, this 2.5-point spread is hardly out of the question.
Down 2-0, Los Angeles should come out with a greater sense of urgency on its home floor and climb to an early lead. The Lakers are already in a significant hole in the series, and they won’t want to add to that by having to overcome an in-game deficit as well.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 2 Props Preview
Over bettors surely went to bed happy last night after watching Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. Between Nikola Jokić, Anthony Davis, and Jamal Murray, there were more than a few players who greatly exceeded expectations.
My recommended prop bets went 3-0 in Game 1 as well, so congratulations if you followed suit. If not, I have three more picks on tap ahead of Thursday night’s action.
With that said, let’s dive into my best prop bets for Game 2 between the Nuggets and Lakers.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 2 Player Prop Odds
Use our NBA odds to locate the best ways to bet on playoff prop bets:
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 2 Player Props
Anthony Davis: Over 24.5 Points (-115) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
This is a somewhat surprising line to get on Davis, who just logged the third-highest-scoring playoff performance of his career on Tuesday night. He scored his game-high 40 points with ease, shooting 14-of-23 from the field while connecting on all 11 of his free-throw attempts.
He has developed something of a reputation for following up terrific games with disappointing ones, but I don’t expect that to be the case against Denver. Not only do the Nuggets not really have an answer for him, but they’ve also been content to let opposing stars light them up this postseason.
I wouldn’t count on him to have another perfect night at the charity stripe — he shot around 78% during the season — but he should see a high volume of field-goal attempts. If I’m Michael Malone, I’m more concerned about Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves combining for 40 than I am about Davis doing so.
So long as he finishes within the realm of 18-25 shots, he should hit this Over without issue, making this my NBA bet of the day.
Nikola Jokić: Over 13.5 Rebounds (-120) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Denver decimated Los Angeles on the glass in Game 1, finishing with a 47-30 rebounding advantage. Unsurprisingly, Jokić played a significant role in that, hauling in 21 boards, 12 of which came in the first quarter alone.
I don’t expect to see such a discrepancy again in Game 2 — the Lakers were one of the best rebounding teams in the league during the regular season — but it seems more likely than not that Jokić will have another big night on the boards.
Including Game 1, Jokić is averaging 13.9 rebounds per game over his last eight matchups with Davis. He’s also hit the Over at this number in six of his 12 playoff appearances this year.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 2 Team Props
Nuggets: Over 59.5 First-Half Points (-110) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Denver’s first halves have been a sight to see in recent days. The Nuggets put up 72 points in Tuesday’s Game 1, which was preceded by an 81-point showing in Game 6 against Phoenix and 61 in Game 4.
This isn’t necessarily just a recent thing, though. Including the regular season, Denver is averaging 59.8 first-half points per game this year, and that number increases to 60.5 points when you filter to just home games.
How long they can maintain this level of efficiency remains to be seen, but I’m riding the wave while it’s still going strong.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 1 Props Preview
After upsetting the defending champions in the second round, the Los Angeles Lakers are moving on to face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in their return to the Western Conference Finals.
With Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis taking the floor in this series, there will be plenty of star players available to bet on.
Let’s take a look at my top prop bets to place on Game 1 between the Nuggets and Lakers.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 1 Player Prop Odds
Use our NBA odds to locate the best ways to bet on playoff prop bets:
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 1 Player Props
Jamal Murray: Over 24.5 Points (-120) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
I’m waiting until after Game 1 to bet on Jokić in this series (and Davis, for that matter) given the matchup difficulties that the two could cause for one another when it comes to scoring and rebounding. However, I’m more than happy to take the Over here on Murray’s points prop.
The Lakers have been burned by opposing point guards thus far, and while it certainly doesn’t help that those two players are named Ja Morant and Stephen Curry, it is an obvious weakness in the way their roster is constructed.
D’Angelo Russell isn’t a bad defender, but he isn’t great, either. Dennis Schröder offers little on that end of the floor.
Containing Murray will be a point of emphasis for the Lakers in this series, but I see him breaking free in Game 1, making this my NBA bet of the day.
D’Angelo Russell: Under 14.5 Points (-110) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Speaking of Russell, I’m unsure how effective he’ll be in this series, let alone in Game 1. The Nuggets have been content to let opposing stars pour it on them throughout the playoffs, diverting their defensive attention to limiting the damage that the role players can cause.
The Lakers are the deepest team that Denver has run into thus far, and Murray isn’t exactly known for his defense. But by making key rotations and switching when necessary, the Nuggets — who defended the three-ball exceptionally well during the regular season — can keep Russell and others in check.
I wouldn’t mind it if this line was a touch higher — Russell is averaging a little less than 16 points per game in the playoffs — but the up-and-down nature of his game makes me lean Under here at 14.5 points.
Nuggets vs Lakers Game 1 Team Props
Over 114 First-Half Points (-110) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
It’s not uncommon for the first game of a playoff series to be one of the highest-scoring, and it wouldn’t shock me if that were the case for Nuggets-Lakers. And when defensive adjustments are made in this contest, the major ones likely won’t come until after halftime.
With that in mind, I’m backing the first-half Over at 114 points. The Lakers have had some strong first-quarter showings throughout the postseason, while the Nuggets are coming off a first half in which they put up 81 points on the Suns.
