The Los Angeles Clippers travel to the Ball Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Clippers Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Clippers Pick.
Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
The Los Angeles Clippers have been the hottest team in the league, as they’ve won 16 of their last 19 games overall, and they will be aiming for a fourth straight victory after routing the Jazz in a 115-103 road win on Tuesday. Kawhi Leonard led the team with 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists; James Harden added 16 points with 10 assists, while Kris Dunn and Brook Lopez each scored 14 points. As a team, the Clippers shot 47 percent from the field and 18 of 46 from the 3-point line as they got off to a poor start and scored just 18 points in the first quarter to fall behind by 11 points early. But they worked their way back into the contest and outscored the Jazz by 36-20 in the third quarter to put the game to bed early with a 21-point lead.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in red-hot form as they’ve won eight of their last 12 games overall, and they will be eager to stay hot after outlasting the Nets in a 107-103 win last night. Jamal Murray led the team with 27 points and six assists on nine of 16 shooting, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 25 points on nine of 15 shooting, while Peyton Watson chipped in with 19 points. As a team, the Nuggets shot 48 percent from the field and 13 of 26 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with 64 points in the first half to take a 19-point lead. However, they allowed the Nets back into the contest and needed to close the final 2:55 on a 15-9 run to escape with the narrow win at home.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Nuggets have won each of their last five games as underdogs when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Clippers have lost each of their last seven road games against Western Conference opponents that held a winning record.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in eight of their last nine games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Clippers have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight games as favorites when playing with a rest advantage.
Why the Los Angeles Clippers will win
- The Clippers have won each of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Nuggets have lost five of their last six home games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Clippers have covered the spread in each of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six home games against Pacific Division opponents that held a losing record.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the last four games between the Clippers and Nuggets have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Clippers’ last four games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent turnovers per game this season (12.0).
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for three-point percentage this season (39.5%).
- The Clippers rank 30th in the league for assists per game this season (23.5).
- The Clippers rank 1st in the league for free throw percentage this season (84.6%).
Nuggets vs Clippers Prediction
The Clippers are still shorthanded with Bradley Beal, Derrick Jones Jr., and Bogdan Bogdanovic all out, while the Nuggets have ruled out Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic. The Clippers come into this contest as arguably the hottest team in the league, and they open as road favorites against the Nuggets, who are still missing most of their starting lineup. This should be a close contest, but the Clippers are clear favorites, and I think they stay hot with another win and cover at this modest line.