The Denver Nuggets spent the offseason celebrating while the Los Angeles Lakers were simmering. Denver is in unchartered territory as the reigning NBA champions after an impressive 16-4 run through the postseason last spring. One of the teams in the Nuggets' path was Los Angeles, whom they swept in the Western Conference finals. The Lakers don't have to wait for another shot at the Nuggets, but they will have to witness them raise their championship banner when the teams open the NBA season Tuesday night in Denver. The Nuggets had never beaten Los Angeles in the playoffs before last season, and while it was a sweep, the games were close. That didn't stop Denver from relishing the series win, and head coach Michael Malone lit the fuse in the immediate aftermath of the victory. We like the under as we think both offenses will take some time to gel, and this will be a lower scoring contest.