Nuggets vs. Lakers odds, line: NBA picks, predictions from proven model on 52-37 run

Desperate to save their fading playoff hopes, the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from the Staples Center. Los Angeles left the All-Star break three games out of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoff race, but the Lakers have lost ground and now sit 5.5 games back of the San Antonio Spurs following three straight defeats, with two coming on their home floor. The Nuggets have lost three straight but still hold the No. 2 spot by 3.5 games ahead of the Houston Rockets. The Lakers and Nuggets have split the season series, with each winning on its home floor. Denver is a 5.5-point sportsbook favorite and the over-under for total points scored is 230 in the latest Lakers vs. Nuggets odds. Before you make any Lakers vs. Nuggets picks, listen to what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered Week 21 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling 234-178 record on all top-rated picks, returning more than $4,000 to anybody following them. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA picks against the spread, entering Week 21 on a strong 52-37 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.

Now, it has locked in on Nuggets vs. Lakers. We can tell you it’s leaning over, but it has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits well over 50 percent of the time. See that pick now at SportsLine.

The model knows the Nuggets are eager to recapture the form that made them one of the NBA’s hottest teams heading into the All-Star break. They rallied from a 21-point deficit to make it a one-score game in the final minute at San Antonio on Monday, scoring the game’s final nine points, but missed three shots and had a turnover in the final 16.2 seconds. Jamal Murray had 25 points, while Nikola Jokic added 22 points and 10 rebounds.

The Nuggets have had a habit of bouncing back from tough stretches this season. After losing four straight games in November, they responded with an 11-2 surge. After a three-game losing streak in February, they rattled off five consecutive victories.

But just because Denver has bounced back well doesn’t mean it’ll cover the Lakers vs. Nuggets spread Wednesday.

The Lakers might soon be forced to shift their focus from vying for a playoff berth to looking toward the future, but LeBron James insisted after the loss to the Clippers that Los Angeles intended to keep fighting until it’s eliminated. Even so, many players might be soon auditioning for their roster spots while the scrutiny of coach Luke Walton and his job security is bound to grow more intense. Still, it can’t be denied that James’ first year with Los Angeles was marked by a series of crippling injuries.

Lonzo Ball, the second-year point guard who appeared to complement James, hasn’t played since January because of an ankle sprain. Brandon Ingram missed Monday’s game because of a sore shoulder and is listed as questionable for Wednesday night. The Lakers will be even more short-handed without the services of forward Kyle Kuzma, who went down with a sprained knee Monday and has been ruled out against the Nuggets.