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Already squaring off for the third time this season, the Utah Jazz will attempt to gain some ground in the Northwest Division when they take on the Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City. Let's take an exclusive look at our NBA odds series where our Jazz-Nuggets prediction and pick will be unveiled.
Fresh off of a disheartening divisional loss to the Timberwolves yesterday, the Jazz will need a quick rebound after only 24 hours of rest in the high altitude of Denver. With a 15-13 record, Utah's swift start to the season will be all for not if they cannot start stringing together some wins.
The Nuggets are coming off an absolutely thrilling ending versus the Trail Blazers as it was Jamal Murray that splashed a game-winning three with only 0.9 seconds remaining to prevail the Nuggets to a 121-120 victory. Not only was the last-second victory monumental in the standings, but it also snapped Denver's three-game losing skid. With a 15-10 record overall, the Nuggets will have a great opportunity to gain some ground on the Jazz in the Northwest Division.
Here are the Jazz-Nuggets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Jazz-Nuggets Odds
Utah Jazz: +11.5 (-110)
Denver Nuggets: -11.5 (-110)
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
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At first glance, the Jazz may have a more difficult road than usual in covering the spread simply due to a slew of injuries that will certainly affect tonight's game. Already without point guard Collin Sexton due to a significant hamstring strain, the Jazz have made the decision to rest their other guard in Mike Conley. With that being said, this makes the availability of Lauri Markannen that much more important. At the moment, Markannen is considered day-to-day and is a game-time decision versus the Nuggets after sitting out last night's game with an illness.
Whether or not Markannen plays remains to be seen, but no matter what happens, there is no question that the Jazz needs to improve upon their overall shooting. While Utah managed to boast a strong third quarter versus Minnesota that saw them outscore the Wolves 33-21, the Jazz failed to hit clutch shots down the stretch and it eventually cost them the ten-point loss. As a whole, Utah shot 43% from the floor which also included a lackluster 29% from three-point range.
Without a doubt, Utah needs to find a way to score more efficiently, but the Jazz also struggled mightily when it came to their interior and perimeter defense. Things surely won't get any easier for Utah's defense, as they will be facing off with a Nuggets squad that leads the entire NBA in three-point percentage. Luckily, Utah is surrendering the seventh-lowest shooting percentage from beyond the arc with a 34% mark. All in all, if the shorthanded Jazz can catch a break with an off-shooting night from Denver along with an increased effort on defense, then Utah might just be able to pull off covering the humongous +12 point spread.
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
It makes sense that the Nuggets enter this game as twelve-point favorites due to the fact that the Jazz are down some of the more valuable weapons on the hardwood, but keep in mind that Denver also has consistently been of the west's best even despite losing three in a row prior to their hard-earned victory against Portland.
The one secret ingredient that makes the Nuggets so dangerous other than the fact that they are finally healthy is that their off-season acquisitions in Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have been even better than advertised. While the majority of NBA fans found the moves to be good ones for a contending Nuggets squad, very few expected them to be THIS good. A year ago, Denver lacked the depth to combat their injury situation and by the time the first round of the postseason arrived, the Nuggets did not have the pieces to compete. However, the dynamic duo between Brown and Caldwell-Pope has given Denver a reliable one-two punch in the backcourt. In the last meeting between these Utah and Denver, KCP was absent due to injury, so having him back for play will be a game-changer.
Everyone is aware of Denver's top two stars in Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, but what about someone like Bones Hyland? The last time the second-year player out of VCU last squared off with Utah, he finished the night with a team-high 26 points on 7-12 from trey-land off of the bench. Simply put, another outing like this would all but guarantee Denver a blowout victory on their way to covering the spread.
Final Jazz-Nuggets Prediction & Pick
Yes, the Jazz are at a huge disadvantage in this one, but keep in mind that they have been better than the Nuggets in covering this season with a 15-13 record ATS. Since the spread is currently set at a massive 12 points, the safe pick is to side with the Jazz even though it is more likely than not that Denver comes away with the win.
Final Jazz-Nuggets Prediction & Pick: Jazz +11.5 (-110)
