The Denver Nuggets play host to the Toronto Raptors at the Ball Arena on Friday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs. Raptors Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs. Raptors Pick.
Toronto Raptors Betting Preview
The Toronto Raptors look to have moved on from their slump, as they are now aiming for a fourth straight victory after blowing past the Bulls in a 139-109 road win on Wednesday. RJ Barrett led the team with 23 points on nine of 25 shooting. Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter each scored 18 points, while Jakob Poeltl chipped in with 17 points on seven of 10 shooting. As a team, the Raptors shot 57 percent from the field and 14 of 33 from the 3-point line as they swarmed the Bulls from the very start and were always in control after dominating the first half by 72-45. The Raptors were a little sloppy with the ball as they finished with 18 turnovers, but they had seven players finishing in double figures in points in this one.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been playing well below their best for a while now, as they’ve dropped six of their last 11 games overall and they will be hoping for a better effort after falling short to the severely depleted Grizzlies in a 125-118 road defeat on Wednesday. Nikola Jokic led the team with 29 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists; Christian Braun added 26 points with seven rebounds and five assists; Cameron Johnson scored 20 points, while Jamal Murray tallied 19 points with eight rebounds and 12 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 49 percent from the field and 13 of 36 from the 3-point line as they struggled on offense to start the game and did well just to tie up the scores at halftime, but just when we thought the Nuggets were going to pull away, it was actually the Grizzlies who went on a 14-4 run late in the third quarter to put the Nuggets behind by 10 points. The Nuggets struggled against the pesky Grizzlies defense and committed a total of 19 turnovers, with Jokic being the worst culprit with 10 turnovers himself.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Nuggets have won each of their last nine night games at Ball Arena following a road loss.
- The Raptors have lost nine of their last 10 night games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last nine games against the Raptors following a road loss.
- The Raptors have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five road games.
Why the Toronto Raptors will win
- The underdogs have won three of the Nuggets’ last four games.
- The Raptors have covered the spread in each of their last 10 games as road underdogs against Northwest Division opponents following a win.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Nuggets’ last six home games against the Raptors has gone OVER the total points line.
- Ten of the Raptors’ last 11 games at Ball Arena have gone OVER the total points line.
Nuggets vs Raptors Prediction
The Raptors are still missing Collin Murray-Boyles, while the Nuggets have ruled out Peyton Watson with that hamstring injury. These teams have met once this season, with the Nuggets eeking out a 106-103 win on Dec 31 and both teams are in similar form heading into this matchup. The Raptors are finally starting to get on a bit of a roll after smashing the Bulls in their last game, while the Nuggets were treading water before they suffered a disappointing loss to the Grizzlies, who were missing all their key players. The Nuggets will turn things around sooner rather than later and maybe it starts with a win in this one, but I just don’t think they should be favored by so many points against the Raptors, who almost beat them earlier in the season. Give me the Raptors with the points in what should be a close contest.