Nikola Jokic Could Solidify MVP Case in Marquee Matchup With Anthony Davis UPDATE: Jokic outscores Davis
By Peter Dewey
UPDATE: Nikola Jokic scored 32 points but on just 12-of-28 shooting, as the Nuggets lost to the Lakers 93-89 on Monday. Anthony Davis scored 25 points to lead the Lakers. Both players went over their projected point totals for the game. What follows is the original report from pregame.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the frontrunner for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, and he could further his case tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jokic will match up with Lakers superstar Anthony Davis with a chance for the Nuggets to put even more space between themselves and Los Angeles in the West.
WynnBET has Jokic projected point total tonight at 25.5 against Davis and the Lakers. Vegas thinks this player prop can go either way, as Jokic is -115 to go under the point total and -105 to hit the over.
The same can’t be said about Davis. WynnBET has his projection set at 23.5 points, but the over is a +100 underdog to the under, which is set at -120.
Davis has struggled since coming back from a calf injury and is averaging just 16.5 points per game over his last six games. Despite that, Davis is regarded as one of the best big men in the game, and Jokic will have a chance to solidify his case for MVP with a big game against the Lakers.
WynnBET currently has Jokic as a -1200 favorite to win the league’s most prestigious award and for good reason.
Since Nuggets star Jamal Murray went down with a torn ACL on April 12 against the Golden State Warriors, Jokic has guided Denver to a 9-1 record, which has propelled it to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Over that 10-game stretch, Jokic is averaging 26.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the field.
All season long, Jokic has put up unreal stat lines, but improving the Nuggets’ position in the West without Murray is even more impressive.
While both players are extremely talented on the offensive end, we’re leaning towards Jokic staying hot against a stumbling Lakers team. Los Angeles has dropped to No. 7 in the West with last night’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, but it surprisingly hasn’t hurt its odds to win the NBA title this season. LeBron is also out for tonight's game.
Sven though Davis and the Lakers may be desperate for a win, Jokic will look to build on his recent hot stretch and cement his status as the league’s MVP.