The Denver Nuggets welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to Ball Arena for Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Western Conference finals at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Denver is favored by 6 points at Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 222.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page). 

Before making any Lakers vs. Nuggets picks, you NEED to check out the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model entered the conference finals of the 2023 NBA playoffs a stunning 72-38 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,900. Anyone following it has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows the Lakers are incredible on defense. Los Angeles has the best defensive rating (106.5) in the playoffs while also leading the league with 7.1 blocked shots per game. Opponents are shooting only 42.2% from the field against the Lakers, and Anthony Davis is sitting atop the league in rebounds and blocked shots during the playoffs. With LeBron James also on board, the Lakers are difficult for any opponent to match.

The model also knows the Nuggets excel at home. Denver is 6-0 at Ball Arena in the playoffs, out-scoring opponents by almost 14 points per 100 possessions. The Nuggets also have arguably the best offense in the league, leading the playoffs with 118.7 points per 100 possessions. Denver leads the postseason with 53.6 points in the paint per game, and the Nuggets are averaging 25.2 assists with only 11.5 turnovers per contest in playoff games.

Now, it has set its sights on Lakers vs. Nuggets. We can tell you the model is leaning Over the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any NBA picks.

Who wins Lakers vs. Nuggets? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Lakers vs. Nuggets spread you should be all over Tuesday, all from the model that's 72-38 on top-rated NBA picks!