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Saturday's NBA slate will feature a few interesting matchups ahead of the 2023 Playoffs. We'll continue our odds series with a prediction for this Western Conference game between two teams on different paths. The Denver Nuggets (52-28) will take on the Utah Jazz (36-44). Check out our NBA odds series for our Nuggets-Jazz prediction and pick.
The Denver Nuggets have clinched the conference as the best in the West and will look to finish the season healthy before the playoffs. They're just 1-4 in their last five games, but have been taking it easy with resting some of their key players to avoid unnecessary injuries. We could see a few key Nuggets sit this one out as they have just one other game left in the regular season.
The Utah Jazz will finish the season in the 12-spot in the West and have been eliminated from playoff contention. They suffered a serious down-year with the absence of Donovan Mitchell in their lineup. They have, however, seen the emergence of Lauri Markkanen as a future franchise player and will likely earn the NBA's Most Improved Player honor. This game won't mean much, but they should look forward to treating their fans to a good game for one last time this season.
Here are the Nuggets-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nuggets-Jazz Odds
Denver Nuggets: -6.5 (-110)
Utah Jazz: +6.5 (-110)
Over: 226 (-110)
Under: 226 (-110)
How To Watch Nuggets vs. Jazz
TV: Altitude Sports, Regional Coverage
Article Continues Below
Stream: fuboTV, NBA League Pass
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The Nuggets will head into the playoffs as the consensus best team in the West and will be looking at a matchup with either the Timberwolves or Thunder in the first round. They should be able to handle either of those teams, just as they should be able to handle the Jazz in this game. The Nuggets lead this season series 2-1 and have won the last two meeting by a combined 21 points. They've been extremely short-handed in their last few games, playing without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.. With their clinch of the West, there's no need for them to risk anything here.
It'll be interesting to see how the Denver bench matches up with the Utah Jazz. They've been able to see some action in blowouts this season and players like Bruce Brown have stepped up in these situations. This is a critical time for the bench players to get some game time before the playoffs where they could see important minutes. Look for the Nuggets to lean on their defense against a Jazz team that has trouble scoring.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
The Jazz will likely be without key players like Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Talen Horton-Tucker in this one as they look towards next season. They'll be without Lauri Markkanen in the offseason as he goes to fulfill his military duty for the Finnish army, but the Jazz will be returning a lot of key players and are just one away from making a real splash in the West. They're just 1-8 in their last nine games and haven't been putting up much of a fight as the season closes out. They were routed by the Thunder in their last game but saw a decent performance from PG Kris Dunn.
To win this game, the Jazz will have to play inspired at home and find their shooting stroke from three. They're just 35.4% from three as a team, so look for their bench players to try and find a hot hand in this one. Look for Ochai Agbaji to get involved in the scoring as well, he could turn out to be a valuable prospect for the Jazz moving forward.
Final Nuggets-Jazz Prediction & Pick
This game won't mean much, so it's hard to accurately pick a spread here given that most of this game will be played by bench players. The Nuggets seem like the deeper team here and will have an advantage with the more talented supporting cast. Still, the Jazz will be motivated to get this win at home. Let's take them to cover the spread in front of their fans.
Final Nuggets-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Utah Jazz +6.5 (-110)
