The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Spurs-Nuggets prediction and pick.

 

This is a huge game for both of these teams. The Spurs currently have a two-game lead on the Los Angeles Lakers for the 10th and final playoff seed in the Western Conference. They're also only one game behind the ninth seed, making this game a hugely important one.

The Nuggets are in a somewhat similar situation. Denver is clinging to the fifth seed, as they have a half-game lead on the sixth-seeded Utah Jazz. They also trail the Dallas Mavericks by two games, making this a must-win contest if the Nuggets want any chance of improving their seeding.

Here are the Spurs-Nuggets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA Odds: Spurs-Nuggets Odds

San Antonio Spurs: +9 (-110)

Denver Nuggets: -9 (-110)

Over: 234 (-110)

Under: 234 (-110)

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Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread

The Spurs enter this game on a massive hot streak. They've gone 7-2 over their last nine games, including an impressive win over the Golden State Warriors. One of their two losses over that span came against the Memphis Grizzlies, and it was by one point. It's safe to say that this is the best basketball that the Spurs have been playing all season long.

Now they face a Denver team that they've played closely multiple times this season. These teams have battled three times already, with the Spurs winning once. In another game, San Antonio only lost by six points. The Spurs are clearly comfortable facing the Nuggets, and now they'll do so in the middle of a huge hot streak.

Strangely enough, the Spurs have actually been better on the road than at home. San Antonio is 16-24 at home and 17-21 on the road, making them one of the few teams that actually has a better record away from home. The Spurs are also 21-16-1 against the spread when they are the road team. Denver, on the other hand, has been awful against the spread as a home team. The Nuggets are 14-24 ATS in Ball Arena, with a 12-19 record as home favorites.

Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread

The Spurs have been surprisingly bad on defense, and the Nuggets should capitalize on that. San Antonio gives up an average of 113 points per game while allowing their opponents to shoot 46% from the field. Those numbers indicate a pretty good matchup for a Nuggets team that shoots 48% from the field with some of the best shooting efficiency and effective field goal percentage numbers in the NBA. Expect Denver to have a fairly easy time scoring in this contest, especially with MVP candidate Nikola Jokic leading the way.

In an unfortunate turn of events, the Spurs will have to play this game without their best player. Point guard Dejounte Murray will miss this game with an illness, leaving San Antonio without its leading scorer and passer. Backup center Jock Landale is also questionable for this game.

Final Spurs-Nuggets Prediction & Pick

This is a fairly easy pick, even with the spread pushing double digits. The Nuggets should cover fairly easily against a Spurs team that's playing without their best player. Take Denver with confidence.

Final Spurs-Nuggets Pick: Denver Nuggets: -9 (-110)