The Los Angeles Clippers host the Denver Nuggets late Wednesday night in Las Vegas! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Nuggets-Clippers prediction and pick.
Both squads are (1-1) after two games in Las Vegas. Denver is coming off of a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers 84-76 where Peyton Watson led the team in scoring with 19. The Nuggets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their opening game. Now, they will look to get above .500 in hopes of a better seed. The Clippers took down the Memphis Grizzlies in their first game but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers last night 83-72.
There are just a few games left to earn a higher seed for the tournament. Most teams are in the hunt as there are only a handful of teams that don't have a win yet. The odds are changing each day to determine the favorite to win the NBA Summer League and a win here for both teams would be huge.
Here are the Nuggets-Clippers Summer League odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Summer League Odds: Nuggets-Clippers Odds
Denver Nuggets: +3.5 (-112)
Los Angeles Clippers: -3.5 (-108)
Over: 168.5 (-110)
Under: 168.5 (-110)
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Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The starting five played well for the Nuggets against the Cavs. Four of the five starters scored in double figures and that will likely need to carry over to today as well. Watson led the team with 19 but Collin Gillespie scored 17 in 31 minutes. He also had seven rebounds and six assists to help the Nuggets over the Cavs.
This entire roster is rookies except for Jontay Porter. This is all new to them and so it's hard to know if you will see a consistent approach from this squad. It seems like Watson and Gillespie are the main core but if Matt Mitchell and Christian Braun can continue to give them good minutes then the Nuggets could see some success here in Vegas.
The Nuggets beat the Cavs by sharing the ball. They ended with 20 assists compared to just nine for Cleveland. If the Nuggets continue to share the wealth, they should cover this spread.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread
The Clippers are coming off of a loss to the Lakers last night. The Clippers played an awful second half where they scored a combined 26 points. They were winning at halftime but fell apart and allowed the Lakers to dominate the second half. Brandon Boston Jr. and Jay Scrubb scored 15 each in the loss while it was apparent no one else could get in a rhythm. Those two played. a bulk of the minutes and will likely get some extra rest tonight for a back-to-back.
The lineup will need to see others like Moussa Diabate, Jarrell Brantley, and Reggie Perry step up if they want a chance at covering this spread. Perry led the team in scoring with 17 in the first game and so the ability to lead the team is there once again. If they are all on their game then they should perform a lot better than just 26 points in a half.
Final Nuggets-Clippers Prediction & Pick
I expect this game to be close and so taking the Nuggets to cover this spread is the right call. They have also had a few extra days of rest to prepare for this important matchup.
Final Nuggets-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Nuggets +3.5 (-112)
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