Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors Preview Dec 30
Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors Predictions
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors betting preview for Thursday, December 30. At the time of posting, the Warriors have climbed to a 5.5-point road favorite in Denver, with the total sitting at 214 points.
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| Thurs, Dec 30 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Golden State Warriors -5.5 at Denver Nuggets |
| Total: | 214 Points |
| Game Time: | 9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT |
| Arena: | Ball Arena in Denver |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors Analysis
These two teams are in the second game of a back to back in Denver, and the first game was an awful offensive game as Denver prevailed 89-86. The Warriors were very shorthanded, and they’ll get a big weapon in Jordan Poole back tonight to help on the scoring end where the Nuggets look to have the same team as last game with Aaron Gordon having an outside chance to play.
The Warriors are 5.5-point favorites on the road with a total of 214, so the books are expecting a very different game tonight, but should expect this big of a swing?
I do not expect another 86 point performance from Golden State, but I’m not sure I expect a huge explosion either. Last game Golden State only attempted 71 shots, and outside of Curry and Wiggins the team went 2-11 from three pointers. Steph did not have a great game as he went 6-16 from the field for 23 points, and with this lineup, he’ll have to have 30+ points to get a win.
The return of Poole should help, but I’m guessing this game will depend on Curry, Wiggins and Poole to combine for 70+ points in order for Golden State to get the win and cover.
Denver is still not scoring a ton of points, but give them credit they’ve grinded out two straight wins over a wounded Clippers team and a wounded Warriors team. Denver keeps dropping in pace of play, and they are averaging 98.25 points per game their last four.
Jokic is carrying a massive load for Denver, and last game he was the only Nugget with over 6 rebounds, and him and Barton were the only players to score over 8 points. The supporting cast just isn’t good right now as they are depending on guys like Austin Rivers and Facundo Campazzo to play big minutes. That being said, they have won two in a row, so what can we expect in this game?
I don’t expect an 89-86 game, but I don’t expect a high scoring affair which leads me to the under. The return of Jordan Poole is a nice addition to Golden State, but this lineup is a far cry from the high scoring Warriors from earlier this season. Without Draymond in the lineup, they lose a leader and a point forward that opens up the tempo and flow of the offense and gets Steph lots of wide open shots. Steph has to create his own shots tonight, and they won’t have any offense inside the paint against Jokic.
All these obstacles for Golden State combined with the slow pace of Denver and lack of offensive weapons for the Nuggets leads me to take the under with confidence tonight in this game.
OFFICIAL PLAY: Under 214 Points
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Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors Preview from GoldSheet
Dominant trend in this game could is Golden State’s 67% mark to the “under” this season (11-22-1), especially when coupled with the fact that these two sides have gone “under” the total in 5 straight and 9 of the last 11 in this series. That includes the 89-86 Denver win in San Francisco at the Chase Center on Tuesday, when Nugget C Nikola Jokic had 22 pts. and 18 rebounds, but both teams shot 42% and the Warriors missed 15 FTs and lost the turnover battle, as Steph Curry fouled out after making just 6 of 16 shots (5 of 14 treys). Golden State regained Andrew Wiggins in the Denver game, are now without PF Draymond Green, both roster moves Covid-related, and could have Jordan Poole back after he’s cleared the Covid list.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of guests for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors clash, from a betting perspective.
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