Nuggets vs. Lakers Prediction, Spread, NBA Preseason Picks – Friday, October 16

The NBA preseason is wrapping up with its final slate of games on Friday, October 16. The Los Angeles Lakers finish out the preseason with a home game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. 

The Lakers are 5.5-point favorites on Friday, via PrizePicks. The Lakers are 2-2 in the 2026 preseason after losing to the Golden State Warriors 101-89 on Tuesday in Las Vegas.  

Meanwhile, the Nuggets are also 2-2 in preseason play. The Nuggets are coming off a 122-110 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. 

Let’s jump into tonight’s NBA preseason action with our Nuggets vs. Lakers prediction and picks for Friday, October 16, including PrizePicks NBA player picks. 

Make your Nuggets vs. Lakers prediction tonight on PrizePicks now!

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Nuggets vs. Lakers Prediction, Winner, Over/Under for NBA Preseason – Friday, October 16

The Lakers enter Friday’s NBA preseason finale as 5.5-point favorites against the Nuggets and return a 1.42x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks. 

Here are the full payouts for the Nuggets vs. Lakers game tonight on PrizePicks, including winner payouts, the spread, and over/under. PrizePicks payout data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change. 

It’s only the preseason, but it'll be fun to watch the Nuggets vs. Lakers square off because it’s grown into a genuine rivalry in the West, and stars will play for both sides. The Lakers are 4-2 vs. the Nuggets since landing Luka Doncic in regular season play. 

Lakers SG Austin Reaves played 25 minutes in the recent loss vs. the Warriors and led the Lakers with 28 points and 7 assists but also had 7 turnovers. Lakers C Walker Kessler started and played 16 minutes, adding 11 points, 9 rebounds, a steal, and a block. 

Doncic was given the night off vs. the Warriors to rest, but he is expected to see minutes in the preseason finale; that should also shift some usage away from Reaves if he plays.

Nuggets PG Jamal Murray paced the Nuggets with 14 points and 6 rebounds in the defeat to the Clippers. C Nikola Jokic (5 points, 6 rebounds) and F Aaron Gordon (8 points, 6 rebounds) also saw limited minutes, so they could get court time to finish off the preseason. 

Preseason or not, these teams have bad blood, so don’t expect a lack of intensity. This is the final dress rehearsal for the regular season, and their next matchup isn't until December 19.

The over/under is set at 230.5 points. This could be a low-scoring and inefficient shooting night for both teams as they cycle through their rosters for one last time in the preseason. 

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Nuggets vs. Lakers Prediction on Over/Under for NBA Preseason – Friday, Oct. 16

Here are the key stats and predictions behind our Nuggets vs. Lakers prediction on the over/under, set at 230.5, for Friday’s NBA game. 

• Both teams should play their regular starters in a dress rehearsal, including Doncic for the Lakers, but not for their typical minutes.
• The Lakers have scored under 100 points in 2 of their last 3 preseason games.
• All four Lakers preseason games have gone under 230 points, while only two of the Nuggets’ four games have.
• Both teams rank in the bottom six in the NBA preseason in field goals attempted per game — suggesting a slower-paced game.
• The Nuggets have committed 32 turnovers in their road preseason games. 
• The Nuggets rank 31st in 3-point attempts per game in the preseason (32.3), while the Lakers are 19th (37.0).
• The under is 4-6 in the last 10 matchups between the Nuggets and Lakers.

Make your Nuggets vs. Lakers preseason prediction on PrizePicks

Nuggets vs. Lakers Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks – October 16, 2026

Our top Nuggets vs. Lakers player picks for the NBA preseason game on PrizePicks tonight include Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, via the NBAP board on PrizePicks.

Lakers G Luka Doncic vs. Nuggets: 34.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts

• Doncic has played 25+ minutes in one preseason game this year, ramping up from 16 minutes in two preseason games.
• Doncic practiced fully on Thursday ahead of tonight’s game and will be available to play after resting in the last game.
• He had just 3 rebounds and 3 assists in his most recent preseason outing, but poured in 23 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
• In 27.5 minutes per game in the 2025-26 preseason, Doncic averaged 28.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. However, it’s unknown how long Doncic will play after playing 25 minutes in his last game.
• The Lakers are likely to be missing Ziaire Williams (foot) and Collin Sexton (lower leg), which could mean more usage for Doncic.

Pick Lakers or Nuggets to win + Doncic PRA on PrizePicks for higher payouts!

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Lakers SG Austin Reaves vs. Nuggets: 17.5 Points

• Reaves is coming off a 28-point performance vs. the Warriors on 10-of-18 shooting.
• Reaves is averaging 26.0 points on 52.9 percent shooting in his last 5 games vs. the Nuggets. 
• Reaves has made at least 3 3-pointers in three of his last five games vs. the Nuggets.
• Without LeBron James on the floor, Reaves is on ball a ton this preseason, as seen by his 7.5 assists per game in just 25 minutes per game.

Pick Lakers or Nuggets to win + Reaves points on PrizePicks for higher payouts!

Make Nuggets vs. Lakers NBA Preseason Picks on PrizePicks

With tonight marking the 2026 NBA preseason finale for both the Nuggets and Lakers, some rotation players could get limited minutes. Figure each squad will let the regulars get a brief run while mostly relying on fringe players aiming to make a final impression before the regular season. 

Don’t wait until tip-off — make your Nuggets vs. Lakers picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right. Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on NBA game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.

Plus, you can make your NBA predictions for the 2026-27 season, including the NBA Finals winner, win totals, the MVP, and more, all on PrizePicks.

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