Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors Betting Preview
Cap off an exciting day of NBA basketball Saturday with a Western Conference showdown between the No. 6 Denver Nuggets (48-34) and the No. 3 Golden State Warriors (53-29). The Warriors will host this one at the Chase Center, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 pm ET.
The Nuggets won three of four games between the two this season, including both games at the Chase Center. They will look to keep that momentum going entering Saturday.
To end the regular season, Denver won six of their last ten games, but they did drop their last regular-season game 146-141 in overtime to the Lakers. Playing without some of their regulars, Markus Howard had a team-high 25 points in the game.
The Warriors caught fire to end the regular season, winning five straight games. In their last game, a 128-107 win over New Orleans, Klay Thompson had a game-high 41 points while Jordan Poole added 22.
Golden State is the favorite in this one playing at home. They are -260 to win while the Nuggets’ moneyline sits at +215. The spread features Denver +6 (-108), and the over/under for total points is 223.
By The Numbers
Denver had the stronger of the two offenses during the regular season. They ranked 10th in scoring, averaging 112.7 points per game (110.7 on the road). The Warriors ranked 15th, averaging 111 points (113 at home).
Defensively, Golden State has the advantage. They rank third in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of just 105.5 points per game (103.1 at home). The Nuggets rank 14th allowing 110.4 points (108.4 on the road).
Nuggets Look To Potential MVP To Lead Them To Victory
This year’s MVP race may boil down to Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic. Regardless of who wins the accolades, Nuggets’ fans hope that Jokic can lead them past the Warriors into the second round.
This season, Jokic leads the team in points (27.1), rebounds (13.8), assists (7.9), steals (1.5), and blocks per game (0.9). He has been even better in four games versus the Warriors this season as he averaged 28 points, 15.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Aside from Jokic, the other main threats on offense include Aaron Gordon (15 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists), Will Barton (14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists), and Monte Morris (12.6 points, three rebounds, 4.4 assists).
Warriors Get Good News Entering First Game
Despite being out since March 16 with a left foot sprain and bone bruise, it appears that All-Star Stephen Curry should be good to go for this one. After participating in a team scrimmage, head coach Steve Kerr said he was optimistic that Curry can play.
In 64 games this season, Curry averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Aside from Curry, Klay Thompson has also had a huge season since returning from injury. Playing in 32 games, Thompson averaged 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
Other contributors include Jordan Poole (18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, four assists), Andrew Wiggins (17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists), and Draymond Green (7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, seven assists).
Take The Nuggets And The Points
This is a fascinating matchup as both teams have trends, making them worthy of a bet. Not only has Denver won three of four from the Warriors this season, but they have won 10 of their last 11 games on the road.
For Golden State, they are 5-1, both straight up and against the spread, in their last six games. Furthermore, they are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games at home versus the Nuggets.
If Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson catch fire from the outside, it may not matter what the trends say, as they can single-handedly take a game over. On the flip side, the Warriors have to find an answer for Nikola Jokic, which is a tall task, especially without a true center to match up on him.
At the end of the day, the smartest play is to take Denver and the points. While it isn’t clear exactly how much it will be, Curry is expected to be on a minutes restriction. Even if the Warriors win at home, it will likely be close.
Take Denver +6 (-108).
