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The Golden State Warriors are coming back home to Chase Center to face the Denver Nuggets after a five-game road trip. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Nuggets-Warriors prediction and pick.
The Nuggets have won four consecutive games since the terrible injury to Jamal Murray. In their last 10 games, the team has won eight of them for a record of 38-20 and the 4th seed in the Western Conference.
The Warriors have dropped to a record of 29-30 and the t10th seed in the Western Conference after a tough loss on Wednesday to the Washington Wizards.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Nuggets-Warriors odds.
NBA Odds: Nuggets-Warriors Odds
Denver Nuggets -2.5 (-109)
Golden State Warriors +2.5 (-111)
Over 227.5 Points (-105)
Under 227.5 Points(-115)
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
Injury Report: Jamal Murray (out), Monte Morris (out)
Despite losing one of their star players in Jamal Murray, Coach Michael Malone's squad has been able to rally and win their last four games against some notable teams including the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers.
During this stretch, Jokic has been absolutely phenomenal for the Nuggets and has put up a triple-double against the Heat, 29 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists against the Houston Rockets, and 47 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The All-Star has been putting up MVP numbers all season long averaging 26.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game while shooting very efficiently from the field and behind the three-point line.
With Murray now out for possibly the rest of the season, Coach Malone will need his other starters, Michael Porter Jr., Will Barton, and Aaron Gordon, to step it up offensively in order to make up for the offensive and defensive void left behind by Murray.
The area where the Nuggets really struggled was on the defensive end of the floor where they ranked dead last at one point during the season. Coach Malone's squad has been starting to figure it out and play with more intensity on that end of the floor to climb to the 15th best defensive rating in the league.
The keys for this Denver team to cover the spread on Friday will be to run the entire offense through Jokic as the Warriors don't have a center that can stop him and on the defensive end of the floor to stay connected with Steph Curry and to force the ball out of his hands.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
Injury Report: James Wiseman (out), Damion Lee (out), Eric Paschall (out), Kent Bazemore (out), and Juan Toscano-Anderson (questionable)
The Warriors have a lot of bodies out but Coach Steve Kerr has been able to adapt and put forth rotations conducive to winning basketball as his ball club has won six of their last 10 games picking up big wings against the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and Milwaukee Bucks.
During the last 10 games for the Warriors, Steph Curry has been absolutely dominant on the offensive end of the floor, averaging 38.7 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and behind the three-point line. Moreover, Curry has put up five 30-point games, four 40-point games, and one 50-point game during this period.
For the season Curry is averaging 31.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting very efficiently from the floor but the impact that he has on this Golden State team goes way beyond his stat lines.
Curry’s ability to make plays for his teammates on the offensive end of the floor combined with how well he can shoot the ball from behind the three-point line makes him a very tough defensive coverage. With him on the floor, it frees up the rest of the players on the Warriors for an open layup, midrange, or three-point shot.
The key for the Warriors to cover the spread against the Nuggets on Friday will be to continue to ride the hot hands of Curry offensively and to try to slow down Jokic by double-teaming him whenever he gets the balls.
Final Nuggets-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Nuggets are ranked as the 3rd best offensive team while the Warriors are ranked as the 9th worse offensive team in the association. It is no secret that the Nuggets struggle on the defensive end of the floor but with the addition of Gordon, the Nuggets have slowly been climbing up the rankings for defensive rating. Ultimately, the edge for the team that'll cover the spread goes to the Nuggets for the simple fact that they have been playing absolutely sensational basketball in their last four games that they have all won behind huge performance from their most valuable player Jokic. The Nuggets should then pick up their 5th straight win as the Warriors lose a critical game as they battle for a spot in the play-in tournament for the Western Conference.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR NUGGETS-WARRIORS: DEN 122, GSW 108 (DEN -2.5)
