Article courtesy of SBGlobal.com

Denver Nuggets (36-36) at Los Angeles Lakers (39-34)
10:35 pm Eastern
SBG Global Opening Line: Lakers – 2.5, Total 220

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers hope they can increase their lead over the Denver Nuggets in the playoff standings as they meet tonight in Los Angeles. SBG Global reports that the gambling public doesn’t share Kobe’s aspirations, with most early money going on the Nuggets plus the points.

Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s leading scorer and has reached 50 points in four straight games and hit that mark five times in his last seven games.  The Lakers did suffer back-to-back losses to Memphis and Houston last week, The Lakers beat Sacramento 126-103 on Sunday, improving to 2-2 on a five-game homestand. Bryant scored just 19 points. "I like seeing my teammates being in a rhythm. I like seeing their confidence. I like seeing them smile," Bryant said. "I don't like to see them second-guessing themselves on their shots or hanging their heads. So tonight was a big game for them to try to get their confidence back and their swagger back a little bit."

The Los Angeles Lakers are 3 point favorites with a total of 219.5 SBG Global.

Los Angeles is sixth place in the Western Conference, 2 1/2 games ahead of seventh-place Denver.  The Nuggets are wrapping up a three-game road trip after beating Seattle 114-103 on Sunday. "I don't like standings, especially where we're at," said Carmelo Anthony, who scored 32 points. "We're just trying to knock these games out." Anthony has scored 32 points in back-to-back games but now trails Kobe in the overall standings for the league. Bryant is averaging 31 points per game while Anthony is just over 29 points per game.

Head coach George Karl may miss tonight’s game and Wednesday's home game against Sacramento to be with his son Coby, who underwent surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes on Monday in Boise, Idaho.

The Lakers and Nuggets meet again next Monday in Denver. The teams split the first two meetings, with each winning at home.

The Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Tuesday games. The Nuggets are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games. The Nuggets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games overall. The Nuggets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Pacific. The Nuggets are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog. The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams and the Nuggets are 0-5 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles.

The Lakers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. the Northwest. The Lakers are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. the Western Conference. The Lakers are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 home games. The Lakers are 2-11-1 ATS in their last 14 games as a home favorite. The home team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings between the two teams and the favorite is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.

The Over is 6-1 in the Nuggets last 7 games as an underdog. The Over is 5-1 in the Nuggets last 6 games as a road underdog. The Over is 5-2 in the Nuggets last 7 vs. the Western Conference. The Over is 7-1 in the Lakers last 8 overall. The Over is 7-1 in the Lakers last 8 vs. the Western Conference. The Over is 8-2 in the Lakers last 10 vs. the Northwest. The Over is 19-7 in the Lakers last 26 games as a home favorite. The Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles.

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