Kobe Bryant will be checking out next week’s Champions League betting odds, as he is a big Barcelona fan and wanted to play for AC Milan while growing up in Italy. However, he took some time out form being a soccer fan to save his team from a shattering loss in Game 1 of their series with Denver.

Lakers Nuggets odds – Thursday, May 21, 9:00 PM ET

Bryant scored 18 of his 40 points to power the Lakers to a 105-103 victory, while no other Lakers had more than 13 points (Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher). The Lakers can’t win with Bryant jacking up 28 shots a game….or can they?

The Nuggets really should have won this game, as they had 11 more free-throw attempts than the Lakers (at the Staples Center, that’s impressive), but managed to go 23-of-35 from the line. Carmelo Anthony lit up the Lakers for 39 points, but free throws and a -9 deficit on the glass killed the Nuggets, who may have missed their best chance to win a game in Los Angeles, where they have beaten Denver nine of the last 10 games.

Lakers Nuggets odds are backing the Lakers by 5.5 points, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Nuggets come out after losing a seven-point deficit in the final 12 minutes of the game. They should keep feeding Anthony the ball as much as possible, as he’s too big for Kobe to guard, and well, then there is Trevor Ariza. J.R. Smith is usually a hot hand off the bench, but he was more wrapped in guarding Bryant, for obvious reasons. Defensively, you have to think the Lakers will step up their game on Thursday, and they could have been a little tired after being taken to seven games by the Rockets, while the Nuggets got a break after beating Dallas in five. Look for a much more balanced Los Angeles team. (Basketball betting pick: Lakers to cover)