The Denver Nuggets play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ball Arena on Friday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs. Thunder Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs. Thunder Pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been on an absolute tear as they’ve reeled off 19 of their last 20 games overall and they will be eager to build on their current seven-game win streak after blowing past the Clippers in a 128-110 road win on Wednesday. Chet Holmgren led the team with 30 points, 14 rebounds and five assists on 10 of 13 shooting; Isaiah Joe added 21 points on six of nine shooting off the bench, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 20 points with 11 assists. As a team, the Thunder shot 58 percent from the field and 13 of 34 from the 3-point line as they hit the ground running with 69 points in the first half to take a 20-point lead into halftime, which allowed them to cruise in the second half and pull a few starters early.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been on fire as they’ve won 13 of their last 15 games overall and they will be eager to build on their current 10-game win streak after routing the Grizzlies in a 136-119 win on Wednesday. Jamal Murray led the team with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists; Cameron Johnson added 18 points on eight of 12 shooting, while Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 14 points with 16 rebounds and 10 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot a sizzling 59 percent from the field and 14 of 36 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Grizzlies early on and leaked 39 points in the second quarter to trail going into halftime before they dominated the third quarter by 39-22 to reclaim the lead and cruise to a comfortable win at home.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Nuggets have won each of their last 10 games.
- The Thunder have lost five of their last six games at Ball Arena following a win.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in 11 of their last 12 road games against Northwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
- The favorites have covered the spread in each of the Thunder’s last four games.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 11 games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Nuggets have lost each of their last four games against Thunder teams that held a winning record.
- The Thunder have covered the spread in each of their last eight games as road underdogs against the Nuggets.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine night games.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Thunder’s last six night games against Northwest Division opponents has gone OVER the total points line.
- Eight of the Nuggets’ last nine night games against Northwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (121.9).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for steals per game this season (6.8).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+12.1).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (43.5%).
Nuggets vs Thunder Prediction
The Thunder will likely be resting some players with the top overall seed in the NBA already locked up, but currently they have Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Joe, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams all out, while the Nuggets are keeping an eye on Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, who are all questionable. The Thunder have already beaten the Nuggets three times this season, but each of those games were close so we should be in for another great contest here. The Thunder have expectedly decided to rest a bunch of players, which opens the door for the Nuggets, who are just on a tear right now. It’s hard to picture anything but a win for the Nuggets, but something tells me the Thunder reserves will make this a contest and keep this to single digits at the end.