LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets 2023 NBA Opening Night Predictions, Odds, Picks, and Betting Preview

• The Denver Nuggets will open their title defense against the Los Angeles Lakers
• The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals
• The Nuggets have been installed as 5.5-point favorites to win over the Lakers

The long wait is finally over.

The 2023-24 NBA season begins on Tuesday night, with the reigning champions, Denver Nuggets taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener.

Read on as Sports Brief brings you a preview of this mouth-watering matchup.

Lakers vs. Nuggets Betting Preview

Where: Ball Arena, Denver

When: Tuesday, October 24 - 7:30 pm ET

Odds: Los Angeles Lakers (+5.5) vs. Denver Nuggets (-5.5); total: 228.5 - view all NBA lines

Betting on the Los Angeles Lakers (+5.5)

The Los Angeles Lakers knew they needed to make changes after they got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals last season.

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They bolstered their lineup in the offseason, adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Wood during free agency.

They also retained three of their key contributors last season, signing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D'Angelo Russell to long-term deals.

That being said, the Lakers' fortunes will mostly hinge on LeBron James and Anthony Davis' health. They averaged a combined 54.6 points per game in the series against the Nuggets.

James will be entering his 21st season in the NBA and it will be interesting to see if he can still deliver the same numbers he put up last season.

He averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 55 games last regular season.

One thing that's concerning for the Lakers is their poor record in past season openers. The last time they won their opening match of the season was back in 2016, per Sports Illustrated.

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Betting on the Denver Nuggets (-5.5)

The Denver Nuggets are the defending NBA champions and that means they will get their championship rings on Opening Night.

The Nuggets will need to focus quickly after that, though, as they will face a Lakers team eager for revenge in their season opener.

The majority of Denver's championship-winning team last season is back for the Nuggets' title defense. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will look to continue their dominance against the Lakers after they tore them apart in this year's Western Conference Finals.

Murray led the Nuggets in scoring in that series, averaging 32.5 points on 52.7% shooting from the field.

Jokic was also unstoppable in that four-game sweep, averaging 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists, per Basketball Reference.

The Nuggets love playing at home, posting a 34-7 record at Ball Arena last regular season.

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Writer's Prediction

The Los Angeles Lakers (+5.5) beat the Denver Nuggets on Opening Night (all odds courtesy of 1XBet).

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Sports Brief recently reported on the Bayern players' picks to win the NBA championship this season.

Canadian star Alphonso Davies picked the Toronto Raptors to win it all, while Jamal Musiala chose the Golden State Warriors.

Leroy Sane made a bold choice, picking the Sacramento Kings to win the title this season.

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