Lakers vs Nuggets

Luka Dončić and the Lakers visit Denver riding a choppy 5–5 stretch but fresh off a convincing win over Toronto, while the Nuggets are 6–4 in their last 10 and 12–7 at Ball Arena yet still dealing with a heavily depleted frontcourt.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549)) With Nikola Jokić officially out along with Jonas Valančiūnas and key wing Cam Johnson, Denver loses its usual interior advantage and playmaking hub, even as Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson shoulder more scoring.([si.com](https://www.si.com/nba/nuggets/onsi/news/denver-nuggets-vs-lakers-injury-report-rules-out-multiple-key-starters?utm_source=openai)) Los Angeles is also banged up without breakout scorer Austin Reaves and versatile forward Adou Thiero, but their core of Dončić, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton is intact and just produced a balanced 20+ outing each in Sunday’s win.([silverscreenandroll.com](https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/lakers-scores-results/105606/lakers-vs-raptors-recap-box-score-stats-final-lebron-james-luka-doncic?utm_source=openai)) Dončić’s career production against Denver (about 27.5 points, 9.4 assists and 8.4 rebounds, climbing to roughly 31/9/8 over his last 10 meetings) has routinely stressed the Nuggets’ pick-and-roll coverage, and that matchup becomes even tougher for a Jokic-less front line.([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/luka-doncic-career-stats-vs-nuggets?utm_source=openai)) Even with Denver 9–1 in its last 10 home games vs LA, the combination of current injuries, midseason playoff seeding stakes (Nuggets third, Lakers sixth in the West), and the Lakers’ top-end star power makes their -134 moneyline worth backing at a B+ grade rather than elite A-level certainty in a hostile environment.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 20/01/2026 12:36

Denver’s offense has stayed explosive even through injuries, averaging around 121–122 points per game with a top-tier three-point rate while going 6–4 over its last 10, and now leans even more on Murray, Watson and a spread floor without Jokić.([sportssd.iheart.com](https://sportssd.iheart.com/content/2026-01-20-lakers-vs-nuggets-injury-report-jan-20/?utm_source=openai)) The Lakers, meanwhile, have played a series of high-total games, with eight of their last 10 closing totals in the 231+ range and four of their last five going over as Dončić, LeBron and Ayton drive an attack that ranks near the top of the league in efficiency despite a recent 2–5 skid.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549)) Both teams’ season-long numbers point to offense first — Denver scoring about 121.7 and allowing 117.0, the Lakers around 116.5 for and 117.3 against — which pushes an expected combined output into the mid-230s before even accounting for Ball Arena’s pace-friendly altitude and Denver’s current rim-protection issues without Jokić and Valančiūnas.([sportssd.iheart.com](https://sportssd.iheart.com/content/2026-01-20-lakers-vs-nuggets-injury-report-jan-20/?utm_source=openai)) While the absences of Austin Reaves and other pieces for LA slightly trim secondary scoring, they also consolidate touches onto high-usage stars and shorten defensive depth, which tends to favor points rather than clean half-court stops.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549?utm_source=openai)) With both sides motivated by midseason playoff positioning and recent trends leaning toward big numbers in this rivalry, Over 229.5 at -110 earns a B grade for solid but not risk-free value given the uncertainty around how Denver’s wounded rotation sustains its elite efficiency.([new.cbssports.com](https://new.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/preview/NBA_20260120_LAL%40DEN/?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 20/01/2026 12:36

LeBron James and Los Angeles have been wildly up-and-down, dropping five of their last seven overall and only 5–5 in their last 10, yet they’re 5–1 against the spread in recent meetings with Denver and now draw a version of the Nuggets missing Jokić and multiple rotation bigs.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549)) Denver still owns one of the league’s stronger home-court resumes at 12–7 in Ball Arena and a daunting 9–1 straight-up mark in its last 10 home games vs the Lakers, but those trends are heavily tied to Jokić’s historical dominance against LA, and this time the frontcourt is patched together around Zeke Nnaji and small-ball looks while Murray carries a mid-20s scoring load.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549)) On the Lakers’ side, the confirmed absences of Reaves and Thiero cut into perimeter creation and wing defense, yet also lock in big minutes and usage for Dončić, LeBron and Ayton, whose combination of size and playmaking should consistently pressure a shorthanded Denver interior that has already shown rebounding slippage in recent outings.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549?utm_source=openai)) With the Nuggets still 4–1 in their last five and fighting to protect a top-three seed while LA tries to climb from sixth, motivation is high on both sides, but talent concentration and matchup context tilt toward the Lakers winning by multiple possessions often enough to justify laying -2.5 at -110 with a B- grade, acknowledging Denver’s altitude edge and home-trend history as real downside risk.([oddsshark.com](https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/los-angeles-denver-odds-january-20-2026-2459549)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 20/01/2026 12:36