3 Best Prop Bets for Nuggets vs Lakers on Dec. 16 (Nikola Jokic Dominates the Boards)

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

Two of the best players in the NBA meet head-to-head on Friday night as Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets go on the road to face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets will be aiming for their fourth win in a row, while the Lakers will look to keep working their way back to .500.

Here are three of the best prop bets for the Nuggets-Lakers game, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds.

Nuggets-Lakers Player Props

1. Nikola Jokic - Rebounds: Over 11.5 (-130)

Nikola Jokic has been on fire over his last five games, averaging a stellar 31.6 points per game. He is also averaging 12.0 rebounds during that span and crashing the boards with tenacity. The two-time reigning MVP has a chance to run wild on Friday against an LA defense that is allowing the third-most rebounds to opposing centers this season. Jokic has torched the Lakers in the past as well, posting more than 11 rebounds in five of his last six games against them. Yes, Anthony Davis presents a tough challenge around the rim. However, he hasn't made too much of an impact considering the Lakers allow the second-most rebounds per game in the NBA (46.6). Trust Jokic here.

2. LeBron James - Assists: Over 6.5 (+104)

LeBron James has to love playing the Nuggets. He averages a reliable 26.3 points, 8.3 assists and 7.4 rebounds against Denver in his storied career. That assists mark is notable considering it sits above his career average of 7.3. Keep in mind that James has racked up at least seven assists in eight of his last nine games against the Nuggets. Denver is giving up the third-most assists to opposing power forwards this season and the fourth-most assists per game overall (26.3), too. James is surrounded by spot-up shooters and has had no problem leaning on his teammates to get the job done this season. Look for him to focus on finding the open guy on Friday.

3. First Half Spread: Los Angeles Lakers +0.5 (-110)

The Nuggets have the depth to pull away in the second half of this game, but it's hard to ignore the success that the Lakers have found in the first half this year. LA is an impressive 10-2 against the spread (ATS) in the first half of its 12 home games this season. On the other side, Denver is only 8-8 ATS in the first half of its 16 away games. The Lakers rank ninth in first-half points per game (58.6), showcasing that they can keep up with a Nuggets squad that ranks second in that statistical category (61.0). Having a duo like Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves coming off the bench to lead the second unit is a great advantage for LA.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.