Denver Nuggets (41-18) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-23)
February 23, 2023 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5; Over/Under: +221.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers meet Thursday in NBA action at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.
The Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
The Denver Nuggets are averaging 117.1 points on 51.2 percent shooting and allowing 112.7 points on 48 percent shooting. Nikola Jokic is averaging 24.7 points and 11.5 rebounds, while Jamal Murray is averaging 20.2 points and 4.1 rebounds. Aaron Gordon is the third double-digit scorer and Michael Porter Jr. is grabbing 5.4 rebounds. The Denver Nuggets are shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc and 75 percent from the free throw line. The Denver Nuggets are allowing 34.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 42.7 rebounds per game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers are averaging 111.8 points on 48.8 percent shooting and allowing 106.1 points on 46.5 percent shooting. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.3 points and 4.9 assists, while Darius Garland is averaging 21.7 points and 2.7 rebounds. Evan Mobley is the third double-digit scorer and Jarrett Allen is grabbing 9.9 rebounds. The Cleveland Cavaliers are shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. The Cleveland Cavaliers are allowing 36.6 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 41.9 rebounds per game.
Nuggets vs Cavs Trends
The Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall. The under is 5-2-1 in Nuggets last 8 road games. The over is 5-1-1 in Cavaliers last 7 Thursday games.
Randy’s Free Pick
The Denver Nuggets in the underdog role is attractive, but they’re not the same team on the road as they are at home, and that’s an issue in this game in particular. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best home teams in the league, where they win by an average of 8.8 points and shoot 49.5 percent from the field. I’ll lay the small chalk.
