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How about some Wednesday night basketball for your evening? Don't look now, but the Denver Nuggets will head to Salt Lake City to take on their rivals in the Utah Jazz. Let's check out our NBA odds series where our Nuggets-Jazz prediction and pick will be revealed.
Winners in nine of their last eleven games, it appears that the Denver Nuggets are officially clicking on all cylinders. Alas, the defending champs are proving once again that they are formidable foes and one of the clear-cut favorites to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the second consecutive year in a row.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz are quietly but surely putting together an impressive run on the hardwood of late. In fact, it is the Jazz that have been victorious in five of their last six games. While the Jazz may still be a couple of years away from being bonafide contenders within a crowded Western Conference, they still seem to be headed in the right direction.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Nuggets-Jazz Odds
Denver Nuggets: -7 (-110)
Moneyline: -295
Utah Jazz: +7 (-110)
Moneyline: +240
Over: 238.5 (-110)
Under: 238.5 (-110)
How to Watch Nuggets vs. Jazz
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
In order to cover the spread, the Nuggets must avoid coming out flat in the early going especially against a red-hot team like the Jazz. Despite holding multiple positional advantages on the floor over Utah, it is the Jazz that has always held a sturdy home-court advantage over the years. At the end of the day, the Nuggets must find a way to take the crowd out of the game early and often. If the home fans feel that their team can win even slightly, then Denver could find themselves in a world of hurt.
Nevertheless, the Nuggets starters are finally beginning to get in a rhythm after their health has been a question mark thus far. Whether it's been point guard Jamal Murray missing some time with a nagging hamstring ailment or even Aaron Gordon getting attacked by his dog on Christmas Day, Denver has already experienced just how difficult it can be to repeat as champions. Still, there are very few if any starting lineups as potent as the one Denver brings to the floor night in and night out.
Furthermore, the greatness of Serbian big man and last year's Finals MVP Nikola Jokic cannot be put into words. Against the Pistons in Denver's last win, Jokic simply toyed with Detroit all night long as he finished with only four points on three-shot attempts. Instead, Jokic sliced and diced Detroit's defense with his masterful passing as he ended up with a whopping 16 assists. Clearly, Jokic cannot be stopped and will be a difficult matchup for the Jazz defense.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
On the other side of things, the Jazz have happened to show improvement in Will Hardy's second full season as Utah's head coach. Fatally enough, Utah's main inability that may come back to bite them in the behind is a defense that is usually more woeful than not. Believe it or not, but the Jazz are surrendering 118 points for every 100 possessions which does not bode well against an offensive juggernaut like Denver. Simply put, Utah needs to hit most of their open shots while also making an increased effort to get the Nuggets in foul trouble on their way to the charity stripe.
In their lone matchup of the season coming a day before Halloween, it was Utah that shot only 29% from three while going only 7-15 from the free-throw line. Obviously, these are both things that Utah needs to improve on if they want any chance of covering the spread in this one.
All in all, the importance of getting star forward Lauri Markkanen the ball down low so he can feast in the paint. Only at the ripe age of 26, the former first-round pick is averaging 23.5 points per game and is the clear-cut best player on this Utah Jazz roster. At the end of the day, it is Markkanen who must touch the basketball at least once on nearly every possession to maximize the success of this offense throughout the night.
Final Nuggets-Jazz Prediction & Pick
Anything goes when a pair of division rivals go head-to-head on the hardwood. However, the Nuggets are in a whole different realm than the Jazz are at the moment, and despite Utah's recent winning ways, the extra day of rest for Denver will also prove to be extremely beneficial. Take the Nuggets to take care of the business in this one!
Final Nuggets-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Nuggets -7 (-110)
