Our top NBA betting pick for February 8th (2024) is centered around the Nuggets at Lakers game for a number of good reasons. This would be a very special night not just for fans of these two teams, but for the entire sports world. What would make this night so different is the fact that Kobe Bryant’s statue would be unveiled in front of the Crypto center along with the other Laker greats that have been commemorated thus far, including Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Kareem, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Unveiling Kobe Bryant’s Statue
There is absolutely zero doubt that Kobe Bryant’s statue is well deserved. The only sad part is that he won’t be there to see it following his tragic passing in the helicopter crash with this daughter Gianna and four other flight members. Some say that Giana will be included in the statue and opinions are divided whether she should feature or not. I’d say that the image above taken after his fifth title could well serve as the inspiration for his statue, but there isn’t any official information as to what it would look like. It will be very interesting to see what Kobe’s statue would look like and the reveal, which is scheduled for three hours before tip off, will be incredible, and I’m sure Jeannie Buss and the Lakers organization will do their best to get it right.
Gauging the Ceremony Impact. Lakers to Wear Black Mamba Jerseys
2.8.24: The Mamba Unis Return 🖤 pic.twitter.com/dJVVm8TSJ2
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 6, 2024
You can also be absolutely that the statue ceremony will have a serious impact on this NBA betting pick and the Nuggets at Lakers prediction in particular. Everyone of these Lakers players is a die-hard Kobe fan, even LeBron, Anthony Davis is a huge Kobe fan. I’m certain that while they might be a little shaken up at the start, LeBron and AD will do their absolute best to put on a strong performance in respect to the Black Mamba.
In fact, the Lakers will wear their special Black Mamba edition jerseys inspired and designed by Kobe himself. They are all black and “feature a snakeskin-like black print and drop shadows on the jersey numbers, a nod to a detail from the Lakers uniforms from Bryant’s rookie season in 1996-97.”
In light of this NBA betting prediction, I’m just certain that Kobe’s statue ceremony will play its part, and it will definitely motivate the Lakers in a major way. The have to win this game for Kobe, no matter what. LeBron knows, AD it knows, and the fans know it all too well. The atmosphere is going to be electric, all the stars will be there, all the Laker greats.
Obviously, there is also a bit of rivalry brewing here between the Nuggets and the Lakers. We’ve covered that already when predicting and analyzing the opening night match up between these two teams. Personnel wise, the Lakers have enough to beat any team in the NBA, including the champs from Denver.
The odds for that Nuggets at Lakers pick for February 8 were just released. As I expected, the Purple and Gold are major underdogs here and the odds for them to win are well over 2.00 on Money Line. That’s pretty decent, and it’s what we are going with. Our top NBA bet for this Thursday night is on the Lakers to beat the Nuggets to end what would be a historic night at the house that Kobe built – the Staples Center, now known as Crypto arena.
