Lakers Nuggets betting is set for tonight’s Game 4 in Denver, with the Lakers coming in as a 4.5-point underdog and a 2-1 series lead. If you’re looking for the reason why the Lakers will win this game, look no further than the bench.

Seriously….the Nuggets have lost two games in this series due to inbounding players. That’s two sloppy plays away from a possible 3-0 series lead. Really? George Karl has to be one of the worst coaches in the league. Chauncey Billups probably does more coaching on the Nuggets than Karl does (see Carmelo Anthony sprinting to the bench at Billups’ request earlier this season). And it’s not like this is his first time. He was the coach when Seattle lost to Denver as a No.1 seed in the first round of the ’94 playoffs, he was the coach for the 2002 USA team that failed to get a medal. He’s never been a good Xs and Os guy, so Nuggets fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

Phil Jackson hasn’t been at his best in these playoffs, with some strange substitution patterns. Still, he’s won nine NBA titles, so he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. And he has the game’s best closer in Kobe Bryant, who is averaging 37.7 points in this series and has smacked Denver in the mouth with two 40-point games. The biggest difference is the calmness he exudes over this team, even during the last series with Houston. Karl doesn’t do that, and it seems to be on Billups to slow the team down.  That’s one of the main reasons the Lakers has been near the top of the NBA Finals odds all year.

Lakers Nuggets betting pick: Lakers, because George Karl would never do this:

(Bonus Champions League betting pick: Manchester United. Barca’s defense is just too banged up to marshall the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney et al)

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)