Did 15 ESPN experts predict Lakers to beat Nuggets? Debunking viral tweet

A tweet claiming that 15 ESPN experts predicted the LA Lakers would defeat the Denver Nuggets in their first-round matchup has gone viral, accumulating over a thousand likes and more than a hundred shares and replies on X (formerly Twitter). The post stated that only one expert chose the Nuggets to win.

The tweet was shared by user @EthicalHoopz, whose bio includes the disclaimer "NOT A TROLL" and indicates being a fan of the Denver Nuggets.

According to the tweet, among the 16 ESPN reporters in the pool, which included Zach Lowe, Ramona Shelburne, Tim Bontemps, Kendra Andrews, Marc J. Spears, Ohm Youngmisuk, Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Dave McMenamin and others, only Tim McMahon predicted that the Nuggets would win the series.

However, the information in the tweet is false. The screenshot in the tweet has been altered.

The actual article from the ESPN website, titled "NBA playoff experts' picks: Predicting Lakers-Nuggets, 76ers-Knicks and every first-round matchup," showed that all 16 experts chose the Nuggets to defeat the Lakers.

In the article, one expert predicted the Nuggets would win by four games, four experts predicted a Nuggets victory in five games, 10 experts predicted a Nuggets win in six games and one expert predicted a Nuggets win in seven games.

Looking at Lakers vs Nuggets games this season

In last year’s Western Conference finals, the Nuggets swept the Lakers before dominating the Heat in the finals, which ended in just five games.

Some fans have dubbed the Nuggets-Lakers series as the closest sweep in history, as Denver won by margins of six, five, 11 and two points.

The Nuggets went undefeated against the Lakers this season, winning all three matchups. Their first meeting, dating back to October 2023, resulted in a 119-107 victory for the Nuggets. They followed up with wins of 114-106 and 124-114 in the next two games.

The Lakers' last victory against the Nuggets was on Dec. 16, 2022, with a score of 126-108. This win occurred when Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder were still part of the Lakers' roster.

Following the Lakers' securing of the seventh seed with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans, LA star LeBron James said facing the defending champions in the first round would be a challenge.

"[They’re] the defending champions. They know what it takes,” James said. “They know how to win. They've been extremely dominant on their home floor over the last few years.”

“They've got an MVP on their team. They've got a closer on their team. They've got high-level players, high-IQ players. And they've got a hell of a coach.”

In Game 1, the Nuggets are favored to win over the Lakers, according to BetMGM odds.

The spread stands at Denver (-7.5) and Los Angeles (+7.5), with the moneyline favoring Denver (-275) over Los Angeles (+225). The total over/under is set at 223.5 points, and for the series winner, the Nuggets are favored (-350) over the Lakers (+275).