Denver Nuggets at Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview
The Brooklyn Nets will host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening as both teams play the second leg of a back-to-back, making up for a game that had been postponed earlier in the season.
Brooklyn is currently third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-18, while Denver is sixth in the Western Conference at 25-21. Both squads have championship aspirations but will be playing without important pieces of their team, adding a degree of variability to the weeknight contest.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have lost eight of their last 14 games and do not look like the team that many predicted to win the championship this season. Their retooled roster had had its ups and downs, with players like Patty Mills excelling in a new location, while Paul Millsap and others have either left or been effectively removed from the rotation.
Brooklyn has the greatest star-power potential in the NBA, but a knee injury to Kevin Durant and vaccination mandates in New York mean that neither will be available to play at the Barclays Center on Wednesday. James Harden will be the lone star for the home team, and although he has elevated his play as of late, recent reports that he is unhappy with his situation in Brooklyn and intends to enter free agency this summer suggest that his commitment is not at its highest level.
The biggest problem that the Nets are facing without their stars is the reality that without an elite offense, their woeful defense will not hold off lesser teams from lighting up the scoreboard. With Durant set to miss four-six weeks and Irving absent from all home contests, the next month is going to be very tough for New Yorkers.
Denver Nuggets
Like the Nets, the Nuggets are missing two of their main players, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is still playing at a supreme level, but his efforts alone have barely been able to keep his team above .500.
On a more positive note, Denver has been able to find its footing against all non-championship contending teams, a category which the Nets fall into without KD and Irving. Their supporting cast, featuring Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, and others, all play their roles well, which is important against lesser-caliber teams.
Wednesday’s meeting in no way will decide the future of the ballclub, especially since they are in opposite conferences, but it could add to the momentum that the Nuggets have built while winning six of their last nine games, especially approaching the All-Star break.
Betting Odds & Lines
The Nets are listed as a -1 (-110) favorite in the midweek clash, while the Nuggets are a +1 (-110) underdog.
Betting Pick
As hot as James Harden has been lately, it is tough to pick him to lead his side to victory as a near-lone offensive weapon without a committed defense behind him, as he had in Houston.
The best bet for this game may be to take the over as both teams could easily run up the points, but the Nuggets are the team more likely to clever their side of the spread.
