We're back with our continued coverage of the NBA as we take a look at the continuation of this Western Conference rivalry series. The Denver Nuggets (39-25) will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-15), the Thunder leading 2-0 on the season. Check our NBA odds series for the Nuggets-Thunder prediction and pick.
The Denver Nuggets are sixth in the Western Conference after falling 142-103 to the New York Knicks. They've kept pace with a 5-5 record over their last 10 games hoping to gain their first win in three games over the leading Thunder.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to lead the Western Conference by 2.5 games over San Antonio, most recently beating the Warriors 104-97. They're the first team in the NBA to reach 50 wins on the season and hoping to remain perfect against the Nuggets this season.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Nuggets vs. Thunder Odds
Denver Nuggets: +7.5 (-115)
Oklahoma City Thunder: -7.5 (-105)
Over: 230.5 (-115)
Under: 230.5 (-105)
Nuggets vs. Thunder Key Injuries
Denver: Jamal Murray (ankle – Questionable) / Peyton Watson (hamstring – OUT)
Oklahoma City: Alex Caruso (hip – Questionable) / Chet Holmgren (flu – Questionable) / Branden Carlson (back – OUT) / Isaiah Hartenstein (calf – OUT) / Thomas Sorber (knee – OUT) / Jalen Williams (hamstring – OUT)
Nuggets vs. Thunder Betting Trends
- The Oklahoma City Thunder are 26-7 at home. The Denver Nuggets are 22-12 on the road.
- The Thunder have gone 48-13 as betting favorites. The Nuggets are 9-11 as the underdogs.
- The Thunder are 31-34 ATS overall, 15-18 ATS at home. The Nuggets are 35-29 ATS overall, 21-13 ATS on the road.
- The Thunder are 6-4 outright in their last 10 games against the Nuggets. Denver is 7-3 ATS in those games.
- The Thunder are 0-5 ATS in their last five games.
- The total has gone OVER in 12 of Denver's last 17 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of the Thunder's last five games.
Keys to Nuggets vs. Thunder Matchup
The Thunder are 2-0 against the Nuggets this season, winning 121-111 at Denver and outlasting overtime at home to win 127-121 during the most recent meeting. The last game was notably Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's first game back from injury as he scored 36 points and dished nine assists to lead his team. Chet Holmgren was also a massive reason for their success in notching a career-high 21 rebounds opposite Nikola Jokic's 17-rebound effort. This third game should be close once again, but it's no surprise that the Thunder are favored to win once again.
Since returning from injury, SGA has managed to lead his team in scoring twice and serve as their main facilitator. Jared McCain has finally settled into his new roster spot and is contributing with three double-digit scoring outings over his last five games. Cason Wallace has also been contributing in passing with 21 total assists over his last five games. He's averaging 18.5 PPG against the Nuggets this season, so watch for him to be a spark plug for OKC on both ends of the floor.
The Thunder will have to deal with a multifaceted attack from the Denver offense led by Nikola Jokic, which currently shoots the second-highest field goal percentage (49.2%) in the NBA. The Nuggets are the league's highest-scoring team (120.2 PPG), surpassing that average twice over their last three games. Nikola Jokic should see another big game in the paint with Hartenstein out for the Thunder, so Denver could some advantages with their size now that they've got Aaron Gordon and Jonas Valanciunas back and healthy.
Christian Braun has also been a big part of the Nuggets' success and he's a name to watch in this game with 23.0 PPG vs. Oklahoma City this season. He's scored double-digits in seven of his last 10 starts and is averaging 4.5 APG over his last three games, stepping up and offering to relieve pressure off Jamal Murray, who continues to play on a hobbled ankle and will be a game-time decision ahead of this one.
Nuggets vs. Thunder Prediction and Pick
While the Thunder have won both games in this series, it's been much closer throughout the flow of the game with their last meeting being decided in overtime. The Denver Nuggets rank as the league's best offense, while the Oklahoma City Thunder are notably the No. 1 overall team in defensive net rating. Fans should be in for another back-and-forth game with the Thunder holding the slight edge at home despite numerous injuries.
I expect this game to follow a similar script to the previous two meetings with both teams exchanging leads and Oklahoma City eventually pulling away late in the fourth quarter. Jamal Murray's availability will be crucial to this spread, but we've seen the Nuggets' role players rise to the occasion when starters miss games, so don't sleep on a player like Julian Strawther potentially having a big impact in this one.
For our final pick, we'll roll with the Denver Nuggets on the road as 7.5 points may be too much to give them. They're one of the league's better road teams at 21-13 ATS, so we'll ride with Jokic and the Nuggets as the total over hits as well.
Final Nuggets-Thunder Prediction & Pick: Denver Nuggets +7.5 (-115); OVER 230.5 (-115)
