Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Picks, Prediction, Odds and Line Movement for Saturday March 14 2026
Use Code WWWC Who will get the third seed in the Western Conference? Oklahoma City and San Antonio are fighting for the top two seeds. Los Angeles is in third place, a 1/2 game ahead of Houston and Denver in this Nuggets vs. Lakers prediction. Denver (41-26) travels to Los Angeles (41-25) to meet the Lakers (41-25) on Saturday night at 8:30 PM ET. These teams have met twice this season with Denver winning the last game on March 5, 120-113 at home. They lost in the first game on Jan. 20, 115-107 as a 3.0 point dog. Check out more free NBA picks at Winners and Whiners.
Tough stretch for Nuggets
Denver's schedule has not been a cakewalk since they beat Utah 128-125 on the road on March 2. Since then, they beat the Lakers 120-113, lost to the Knicks (142-103) and Thunder (129-126), then beat Houston (129-93) and the San Antonio Spurs on the road (136-131) in back-to-back games. In the win over the Spurs on Thursday, the Nuggets came back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit. Nikola Jokic had a monster game with 31 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks in 39 minutes, while Jamal Murray led the team with 39 points. Denver was fortunate to play against the Spurs without Victor Wembanyama, who didn't play due to ankle soreness.
The Nuggets are healthy right now with Peyton Watson (14.9 ppg) as the only player listed as out. Jokic is having another MVP-caliber season with 28.7 points per game, 10.4 assists, and 12.7 rebounds, on 57.3% shooting (38.9% 3pt). Murray adds 25.7 points per game and 7.1 assists, while shooting 48.4% from the field and 42.9% three-point shooting. Denver ranks 8th in Adjusted Net Rating, 1st in Adjusted Offensive Rating, and 21st in Adjusted Defense according to DunksandThrees.com.
Lakers are finally showing life
The Lakers aren't going to finish first or second in the Western Conference, but they've won four straight and seven of their last eight games. On Thursday, they beat Chicago 142-130 as an 11.5-point favorite. Their only loss in the last eight games came against Denver on March 5. They do have wins over the Knicks and Minnesota in this span, though most of the victories came against subpar teams (Indiana, Chicago, Indiana, New Orleans, and Sacramento). In the win over the Bulls, Luka Doncic exploded for 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Austin Reaves added 30 points and seven assists.
Get Free $30 Credit for Premium Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
The key for this team is not Reaves, Doncic or LeBron James, it's DeAndre Ayton. The 7-foot center had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Chicago and also had 14 points with 12 boards against Minnesota. But Ayton has been inconsistent, averaging 12.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 66.9% from the field. Doncic leads the Lakers with 32.9 points per game and in assists with 8.5 per game. The Lakers rank 17th in Adjusted Net Ratings, eighth in Adjusted Offensive Rating and 20th in Adjusted Defense.
Spread Pick for Nuggets vs. Lakers
Nuggets vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick
- Denver -2.5 (4 units)
For some reason, Denver is better on the road (23-13) than at home (18-13). The big difference here is Jokic, who didn't play in their loss to the Lakers in January. The Lakers are playing better, but they beat Minnesota without Anthony Edwards on Tuesday. Things are lining up right for them in terms of schedule, but things will get tougher after this game as they take on Houston twice on the road, Miami, Orlando, Detroit and Indiana during a brutal six-game road trip starting on Monday. Denver wants a top-four seed and will take advantage of Jokic against Ayton.
Over/Under Pick for Nuggets vs. Lakers
- Under 243.5 (5 units)
Both meetings have gone under this season. Denver is 22nd in pace of play, while the Lakers are 20th. Both teams have players who are better suited for the halfcourt (James, Doncic and Jokic). The Lakers have had more success lately but playing that pace and their defense has shown up lately. They've gone under five of their last seven games.
Never Tried Winners and Whiners? Now Is Your Chance
- Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code DOLLAR
- If the pick loses, we credit your account with 3 Flex Picks
- If the pick wins, we still give you 1 Flex Pick on the house
- Win or lose, you walk away ahead. One dollar. No catch.
- Check out more NBA predictions
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
