There’s been a common theme between the Lakers and Nuggets in the postseason. The Lakers have come out flat in Game 1s and lost against the Trailblazers and Rockets. Denver on the other hand utilized its unorthodox team skillset to win Game 1 against the Jazz. The Lakers are poised to adjust quickly after Game 1 but take Denver plus the points on Friday.

The Lakers have not looked good in the first game of their two respective playoff series, losing both by at least seven points. I think they roll in this series against the Nuggets, but these two teams played each other tough during the regular season. Despite the Lakers winning three of the four meetings, only one of those wins came by more than four points. This should be another close battle, so give me the points.

The Lakers have come out slowly in each of their first two series. Now they're dealing with a Nuggets team that's playing with no pressure. Plus, Gary Harris is back to 100 percent. As Denver's top defender, he makes a huge difference. He played 42 and 37 minutes in the final two games of the last round while shooting 50 percent. Grab the points.

The Lakers won three of four (2-2 ATS) against the Nuggets this season and provided one of the more entertaining regular-season bubble games on Aug. 10, a 124-121 Lakers win. But they looked flat for most the bubble regular season, just like they did in each of their Game 1 losses in the playoffs. The Nuggets' defense has stepped up allowing the Clippers to shoot 42 percent or worse in their last four games, 37 percent in Game 7. Take Denver in Game 1 of the conference finals.