The San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets duke it out at the Ball Arena on Friday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Spurs Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Spurs Pick.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
The San Antonio Spurs have been in pretty good form as they’ve won four of their last five games overall. They will be eager to maintain that momentum after running past the Trail Blazers in a 115-102 road win on Wednesday. De’Aaron Fox led the team with 37 points, six rebounds and eight assists on 11 of 25 shooting, Devin Vassell added 23 points on nine of 17 shooting while Julian Champagnie chipped in with 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. As a team, the Spurs shot just 41 percent from the field and 11 of 33 from the 3-point line, which was only enough to hold a slight lead until the fourth quarter. They clamped down defensively and held the Trail Blazers to just 16 points to pull away and win comfortably.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in great form so far this season as they’ve won 13 of their first 17 games and they will be eager to keep it going after running past the Grizzlies in a 125-115 road win on Monday. Jamal Murray led the team with 29 points and eight assists on 11 of 21 shooting, Petyon Watson added 27 points on 11 of 22 shooting, Cameron Johnson added 18 points while Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 17 points with 10 rebounds and 16 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 51 percent from the field and a sizzling 22 of 43 from the 3-point line as they caught fire with 35 points in the second quarter to take the lead into halftime. The long ball kept dropping for them until the lead ballooned to 17 points.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Spurs have lost each of their last 14 games as underdogs after winning as underdogs.
- The Nuggets have won each of their last six games against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents after winning as underdogs.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last seven home games against teams that held a winning record.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The road team has won each of the Nuggets’ last eight games.
- The Nuggets have lost each of their last two games as favorites following a win.
- The road team has covered the spread in seven of the Nuggets’ last eight games.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five home games against Southwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Spurs’ last five games as road underdogs have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Nuggets’ last four games as favorites have gone OVER the total points line.
Denver Nuggets Player Facts
- Nikola Jokic ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assists per game (11.1) this season.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. has recorded 11 games with 1+ assists and zero turnovers this season – most of any player in the league.
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Keldon Johnson ranks 1st amongst qualified Guards for FG% (57.5%) this season.
- Harrison Barnes ranks 12th amongst qualified players for 3P% (44.9%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (123.8).
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for field goals made per game this season (44.7).
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for Q1 opponent points per game this season (25.8).
- The Spurs have missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons – second-longest active streak in the NBA.
Nuggets vs Spurs Prediction
The Spurs are still shorthanded with Victor Wembenyama, Stephon Castle and Jordan McLaughlin all out, while the Nuggets have ruled out Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Julian Strawther again. The Spurs have been on a nice run lately and the loss of Wembenyama was softened a bit by the return of Fox. However, the Spurs are going to have to be at their best against this Nuggets team who have hit the ground running this season. These teams met three times last season with the Spurs winning two of those meetings, but the Nuggets come into this game as the team in better form. Jokic has been sensational for them, and they are playing at home where they are 6-2 so far this season. This might be close in the first half, but I think the Nuggets eventually pull away for the win and cover behind another triple-double from Jokic.