Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets Free Pick & Preview

NBA Friday, Nov. 13 - 10:30 p.m. Eastern - ESPN Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets

All NBA fans know that when their team has a chance to host the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, their team needs to give a great effort, treating the game like an NBA Finals contest. There's nothing like gaining the confidence of a win against the defending champions for a team that has designs of its own toward winning the title, no matter how early in the season that game occurs.

The Denver Nuggets will be the latest team to try to give themselves a boost of confidence when they host the Lakers Friday. ESPN will broadcast the Lakers-Nuggets game nationally beginning at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. The Lakers-Nuggets game will be part two of ESPN's NBA double-header telecast Friday, following the 8 p.m. tip between the Hawks and Celtics.

The Nuggets opened the season on a roll like a team that wanted to make the short list of NBA championship contenders, winning their first five games. However, back to back losses against Miami and Atlanta in the midst of a six-game eastern road trip brought the Nuggets back to earth. Carmelo Anthony led Denver in scoring in six of its first seven games, topping the 40-point mark twice.

Friday's Lakers-Nuggets game will mark Denver's first home game after the road trip, which ends Wednesday at Milwaukee. In fact, the Lakers-Nuggets game will be only Denver's third home game of the season. The Nuggets are 2-0 at home this season, averaging 123.5 points per game.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, started the 2009-2010 NBA season on a strong note, too, winning five of its first six games. The Lakers will play six of their first eight games at home before traveling to Denver. Los Angeles is 2-0 on the road this season, picking up overtime wins at both Oklahoma City and Houston. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers in scoring in each of their first six games, topping the 40-point mark three times.

Los Angeles will be playing its second game in as many nights with the Lakers-Nuggets game, as the Lakers will host Phoenix on TNT at 10:30 Thursday night.

Friday's Lakers-Nuggets game will mark the first of four meetings between the two teams scheduled this season.

The Lakers and Nuggets met 10 times last season -- six times in the Western Conference finals and four times in the regular season. Los Angeles was 7-3 outright and 5-5 ATS against the Nuggets in 2008-2009. The Lakers won three of five games outright in Denver last season, including two playoff wins.

May 29, 2009: Lakers 119, at Nuggets (-5.5) 92 May 27, 2009: at Lakers (-6) 103, Nuggets 94 May 25, 2009: at Nuggets (-4.5) 120, Lakers 101 May 23, 2009: Lakers 103, at Nuggets (-3.5) 97 May 21, 2009: Nuggets 106, at Lakers (-5.5) 103 May 19, 2009: at Lakers (-6.5) 105, Nuggets 103 April 4, 2009: at Lakers (-8.5) 116, Nuggets 102 Feb. 27, 2009: at Nuggets 90, Lakers (-2) 79 Nov. 21, 2008: at Lakers (-8.5) 104, Nuggets 90 Nov. 1, 2008: Lakers (-8.5) 104, at Nuggets 97