The Utah Jazz travel to the Ball Arena to do battle with the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Jazz Prediction. This article will include a Nuggets vs Jazz Pick.
Utah Jazz Betting Preview
The Utah Jazz have really been struggling lately as they’ve lost seven of their last eight games overall and they will be hoping to avoid a fourth straight defeat after getting trampled by the lowly Wizards in a 133-110 loss on Wednesday. Cody Williams led the team with 24 points on 11 of 20 shooting, Blake Hinson added 21 points on six of eight shooting while Ace Bailey chipped in with 15 points, two steals and two blocks. As a team, the Jazz shot 47 percent from the field and seven of 29 from the 3-point line as they struggled to match the Wizards from the start and found themselves in deep trouble after trailing by 72-45 heading into the halftime break. The Jazz were able to finish with a flurry in garbage time to bring some respectability to the score but the game was long gone once the deficit swelled to 37 points in the third quarter.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in great form as they’ve won seven of their last nine games overall and they will be gunning for a fifth straight victory after sneaking past the Mavericks in a 142-135 win on Wednesday. Jamal Murray led the team with 53 points, six rebounds and four assists on 19 of 28 shooting, Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 23 points with 21 rebounds and 19 assists while Peyton Watson chipped in with 21 points off the bench. As a team, the Nuggets shot a healthy 56 percent from the field and 19 of 38 from the 3-point line as they got off to a quick start thanks to Murray and took a nine-point lead into halftime and they continued it with 43 points in the third quarter. However, despite the terrific shooting, it was still a relatively close contest with the Nuggets never leading by more than 13 points at any stage.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Jazz have lost each of their last 14 road games against Northwest Division opponents that held a winning record.
- The Nuggets have won each of their last 10 home games against Northwest Division opponents that held a losing record.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last seven home games against Northwest Division opponents that held a losing record.
- The Jazz have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games at Ball Arena.
Why the Utah Jazz will win
- The Nuggets have lost six of their last 10 games as favorites following a win.
- The road team has won each of the Jazz’s last three games.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four night games.
- The Jazz have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 road games against teams that held a winning record.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Jazz’s last seven games against Northwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Nuggets’ last six night games against Northwest Division opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Denver Nuggets Player Facts
- Nikola Jokic ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assists per game (10.8) this season.
- Jamal Murray is one of only five players in the league to have recorded 30+ points and 10+ assists in consecutive games this season.
Utah Jazz Player Facts
- John Konchar has played the most minutes in a single game without scoring a point of any player in the league this season – 36:42 against Wizards on March 5.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (121.1).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for steals per game this season (6.8).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent points per game this season (125.2).
- The Jazz rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (30.5).
Nuggets vs Jazz Prediction
The Jazz are still missing Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr and Isaiah Collier, while the Nuggets don’t have any players listed on the injury report. These teams have already clashed twice this season with the Nuggets winning both meetings, but the last meeting was on Mar 2 and the Nuggets were lucky to escape with a 128-125 win in Utah. The line was always going to be hefty for this one so while there’s every chance that the Jazz can hang around long enough to get the backdoor cover, I prefer a play on the Nuggets over a depleted Jazz squad fresh off a beat down at the hands of the lowly Wizards.