The Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs duke it out at the Frost Bank Arena on Thursday night. Here’s a Spurs vs. Nuggets prediction. This article will include a Spurs vs. Nuggets pick.
Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
The Denver Nuggets haven’t been at their best lately, as they’ve split their last 12 games overall, but they must be feeling much better after they snapped a two-game skid with a 129-93 win over the Rockets last night. Jamal Murray led the team with 30 points on 11 of 21 shooting, Christian Braun added 19 points on eight of 10 shooting, and Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 16 points with 12 rebounds, 13 assists and five steals. As a team, the Nuggets shot 55 percent from the field and 17 of 32 from the 3-point line as they played solid defense at the start of the game to take a narrow lead into halftime before they absolutely dominated the second half by 76-46 to secure one of their best wins of the season.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs have been on fire, as they’ve won 16 of their last 17 games overall and they will be gunning for a sixth straight victory after beating the Celtics in a 125-116 win on Tuesday. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 39 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks; De’Aaron Fox added 25 points and nine assists on 11 of 14 shooting; Stephon Castle scored 18 points with nine rebounds and six assists; and Devin Vassell chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Spurs shot 52 percent from the field and 20 of 47 from the 3-point line as they traded shots with the Celtics in a game that was really closely contested until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Spurs went on a crucial 12-0 run to take a 13-point lead.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The Spurs have won each of their last 17 night games.
- The Nuggets have lost each of their last nine games at Frost Bank Center when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last 10 games at Frost Bank Center following a win.
- The Spurs have covered the spread in each of their last 14 Thursday games.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Nuggets have won each of their last eight games on the road as underdogs when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Spurs have lost three of their last five games as home favorites when playing with a rest advantage.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last eight games as road underdogs when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in 12 of their last 15 games as favorites when playing with a rest advantage.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Nuggets’ last 12 road games against Western Conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Spurs’ last seven games as favorites following a home win have gone OVER the total points line.
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Stephon Castle is one of only five players to have recorded a 40+ point triple-double this season.
- Keldon Johnson ranks 2nd amongst qualified guards for FG% (53.6%) this season.
Denver Nuggets Player Facts
- Nikola Jokic ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assists per game (10.4) 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.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for Q1 win percentage this season (66.2%).
- The Spurs rank 2nd in the league for opponent free throws made per game this season (16.6).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for steals per game this season (6.9).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent turnovers per game this season (12.0).
Spurs vs Nuggets Prediction
The Nuggets are still missing Peyton Watson, while the Spurs are keeping an eye on Harrison Barnes, Lindy Waters III and Victor Wembanyama, who are all questionable for this one. The Nuggets are playing their second game of a back-to-back set, which is always tough but they could be dodging a real bullet here if Wembanyama isn’t able to suit up for the Spurs in this meeting. This is definitely a game where you should check the lineups before tipoff but as it stands, I prefer a play on the Nuggets to build on last night’s upset win in this spot against what could be a shorthanded Spurs outfit.