NBA Saturday is live as the league's short slate will tip off with a battle between top seeds in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs (59-18) take on the Denver Nuggets (49-28) in their third meeting of the season, series tied 1-1. Check our NBA odds series for the Spurs-Nuggets prediction and pick.
The San Antonio Spurs are second in the Western Conference standings, two games back of Oklahoma City following their most recent 118-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. They've won 11-straight games and will see the Nuggets twice more before the season is over.
The Denver Nuggets are fourth in the Western Conference, one game back of the Lakers in third following their most recent 130-117 win over the Utah Jazz. They've won seven-straight and will have a chance to finish as high as the three-seed in the conference with five games remaining.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Spurs vs. Nuggets Odds
San Antonio Spurs: -2.5 (-110)
Denver Nuggets: +2.5 (-110)
Over: 243.5 (-110)
Under: 243.5 (-110)
Spurs vs. Nuggets Key Injuries
San Antonio: David Jones Garcia (ankle – OUT)
Denver: Tim Hardaway Jr. (knee – OUT) / Spencer Jones (hamstring – OUT) / Zeke Nnaji (hip – OUT) / Peyton Watson (hamstring – OUT)
Spurs vs. Nuggets Betting Trends
- The Denver Nuggets have gone 24-13 at home. The San Antonio Spurs have gone 30-12 on the road.
- The Spurs are 47-12 as betting favorites. The Nuggets are 10-12 as underdogs.
- The Nuggets are 41-36 ATS overall, 18-19 ATS at home. The Spurs are 44-34 ATS overall, 24-18 ATS on the road.
- Both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games against one another. The Spurs are 6-4 ATS in those games.
- The Spurs have won their last 11-straight games, 8-0 in their last eight road games.
- The Nuggets have won their last seven games, 5-0 in their last five home games.
- The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of San Antonio's last five games.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Denver's last six games.
Keys to Spurs vs. Nuggets Matchup
With their season series tied 1-1, the Nuggets and Spurs will meet for this game and once more for both teams' regular season finale. Denver won the most recent meeting on the road as neither side has been able to notch a home win, both games being decided by five or fewer points. MVP candidates Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic will be healthy and ready to go as both teams are within striking distance of improving their place in the standings.
This will be another classic matchup between the league's third-best defense in San Antonio and the league's top offense in Denver. Both teams rank within the top seven (Denver 7, San Antonio 2) in net rating and have each scored at least 130 points in both games against one another. Both teams also shot 45% or better from the field in both games with the winner shooting over 50% on both occasions. With how evenly-matched these two sides are, sometimes it comes down to whichever team can have a few more shots fall in their favor.
Over the last 10 games. Nikola Jokic has been averaging a triple-double (22.4 PPG/14.4RPG/12.8APG) and putting up video game type numbers for the Nuggets. With Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon both healthy and playing solid basketball, it's clear the Nuggets are gearing up for another deep run as they've grown accustomed to success in the NBA Playoffs. In terms of impact for his team, Nikola Jokic could be given the MVP award year-in and year-out while still somehow making sense.
Victor Wembanyama will be the focal point of his own team as his defensive efforts have been relatively new for the entire league. Wembanyama is able to cover an insane amount of space while remaining a shot blocking threat from just about anywhere, so expect a motivated performance as he tries to prove himself against a three-time MVP in Jokic.
Spurs vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick
This should be another classic matchup between two MVP candidates in Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic as both players have been stellar during this late-season stretch. The away team is 2-0 in this season series and with both teams riding a winning streak, the Spurs are certainly in line for another win if trends continue.
Both teams come in following a day of rest, but the Spurs have been particularly impressive in the way they've been able to shut teams out with their defense. They've held three of their last five opponents to under 100 points and I expect Wembanyama's efforts to be the difference down the stretch in this one.
For our final prediction, let's roll with the San Antonio Spurs to win a close game on the road, covering this spread while the Nuggets make a late-game push at home. The previous two meetings have been high-scoring so we can expect this game to follow a similar game script.
Final Spurs-Nuggets Prediction & Pick: San Antonio Spurs -2.5 (-110); OVER 243.5 (-110)
