We're back with continued coverage of NBA Tuesday as our next prediction and pick comes in the form of a cross-conference tilt. The Philadelphia 76ers (37-31) will take on the Denver Nuggets (41-27) to close their season series, Denver leading 1-0. Check our NBA odds series for the 76ers-Nuggets prediction and pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers are ninth in the Eastern Conference following their most recently 109-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. They've gone 3-2 over their last five games while missing their two best players in Embiid and Maxey, hoping to continue their success as the underdog as of late.
The Denver Nuggets hold the five-spot in the Western Conference following a 127-125 OT loss to the Los Angeles Lakers their last time out. They've split their last 10 games at 5-5 and need to capitalize in notching wins as the clear favorites, looking to do so on their home floor here.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
76ers vs. Nuggets Odds
Philadelphia 76ers: +15.5 (-112)
Denver Nuggets: -15.5 (-108)
Over: 235.5 (-115)
Under: 235.5 (-105)
76ers vs. Nuggets Key Injuries
Philadelphia: Dalen Terry (shoulder – Questionable) / Johni Broome (knee – OUT) / Joel Embiid (oblique – OUT) / Paul George (suspension – OUT) / Tyrese Maxey (finger – OUT) / Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow – OUT) / Jabari Walker (illness – OUT)
Nuggets: Peyton Watson (hamstring – OUT)
76ers vs. Nuggets Betting Trends
- The Denver Nuggets are 18-13 at home this season. The Philadelphia 76ers are 17-15 on the road.
- The Nuggets are 31-15 when listed as favorites. The 76ers are 10-22 as underdogs.
- The Nuggets are 38-20 ATS overall, 15-16 ATS at home. The 76ers are 35-32-1 ATS overall, 19-12-1 ATS on the road.
- The Nuggets are 3-0 outright, 2-1 ATS in their last three games against the 76ers.
- The 76ers are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games.
- The Nuggets are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
- The total has gone UNDER in six of Philadelphia's last nine games.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Denver's last five games.
Keys to 76ers vs. Nuggets Matchup
As we look at the continued saga between the 76ers and Nuggets, we'll see 76ers' Joel Embiid miss yet another installment of this series. He notably hasn't played a game in Denver since the 2019 season and nursing a current oblique injury that's kept him out since February 26, he'll continue his long streak without playing in the mile-high city. The Nuggets won the only other meeting this season from Philly 125-124, but it took an overtime period as the teams were evenly matched behind 32 points from Embiid.
This game will tell a much different story as both Embiid and Maxey remain on the bench as the Nuggets finally get healthy again amidst their own injury woes. Jamal Murray seems to finally be at 100% following his lingering ankle injury while Nikola Jokic is averaging 28.7 PPG at home this season. Aaron Gordon also returning following a lengthy injury stint adds depth to their interior while Cristian Braun has really been elevating his play on the defensive end and in transition. If the Nuggets are firing on all cylinders at home, the 76ers should be in for a long night without their stars.
However, the 76ers have seen a bit of success in their last six games without Embiid and Maxey, with players like VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes stepping up in scoring the ball. Adem Bona continues to see valuable minutes from the center spot with Embiid out while Dominick Barlow continues to evolve his game as well. It'll take a team performance focused on finding the best available shot for them to find the upset in this game.
The Nuggets may be too deep for the 76ers' second unit to handle, especially on the road. With Cameron Johnson's size along the perimeters and players like Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. coming in off the bench, even the Nuggets' second unit should be able to contain both Grimes and Edgecombe from putting up a lopsided scoring number.
76ers vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick
It's a shame we won't see another iteration of Embiid vs. Jokic for the rest of the season as the Nuggets will have a chance to sweep as the significant betting favorites. The Nuggets have improved their play at home during this recent stretch and they're 19-7 coming in following a loss. Despite the recent success they've had over the last six games, this gap in lineups may be too wide for the 76ers to overcome for an outright upset.
For our final prediction, we're going to roll with the Denver Nuggets to win what should be a decisive game at home, sweeping this season series and hoping to get back into the West's top-3 seeds.
Final 76ers-Nuggets Prediction & Pick: Denver Nuggets -15.5 (-108); UNDER 235.5 (-105)
