Two titans of the Western Conference face off on Wednesday night. In what could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals, the Denver Nuggets face the Golden State Warriors. Denver is coming off of a big win against the Orlando Magic but will head to Chase Center. Playing the Warriors in their home arena will be tough, especially if Denver is missing a few players.
The Warriors are coming off of an uncharacteristic loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Steve Kerr, the Warriors head coach, has mentioned the team’s defense has been awful. They could find themselves in another situation like their game against the Clippers here. They aren’t in danger of falling too far in the standings. Still, another loss could prove troublesome for Golden State.
Game Preview: Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors
The Nuggets are dealing with a few injuries to their lineup, but the core pieces are still there. Monte Morris is also likely to play tonight, so be sure to keep that in mind. The Nuggets have a fairly strong offense, led by Nikola Jokic. They’ll likely try to work the ball to Jokic in the paint to take advantage of Golden State. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they like to play ‘small-ball”.
This team composition allows for better perimeter play but creates problems in the paint. The Warriors are incredible shooters, but they had trouble with the Clippers’ interior play. The same thing is likely to happen tonight, just on a larger scale. Golden State is still missing Draymond Green, one of their best defenders. Without him, they come into this game at a disadvantage.
Against the Spread: Denver Nuggets +5.5
We’re actually kind of shocked to see Denver as such heavy underdogs. To be fair, they don’t have a great record against Golden State, going 4-6 over their last ten. However, with all of the injuries to the Warriors’ interior, we definitely expected better odds. Still, we’d rather have them +5.5 than -5.5.
Playing the Warriors in their own area might be tough, but the Nuggets are good on the road. This season, they have a 16-15 record when traveling. The only troubling part is their 26-31 record against the spread. The good news, however, is that they’ve performed much better against the spread recently. They’re better in the paint, so take the Nuggets +5.5.
The Total: UNDER 224.5
We can use these teams’ history against each other to determine whether you should take the under or over here. Over their last ten meetings, the total has gone under eight times. This makes the under 224.5 total much more appealing to us. In fact, since both teams play great defense, we think this game will go well under the total.
Both of these teams have been hot and cold when it comes to scoring points. However, when they play each other, it’s much more of a defensive game. In their last five meetings, the total has gone under in all five games. Adding the under 224.5 to this single-game parlay is a smart move.
Player Prop: Nikola Jokic Double Double/Denver to win
We particularly like this player prop for Jokic to notch a double-double and Denver to win. It’s currently +200 and gives bettors a great chance to capitalize here. Jokic averages 25.8 points per game along with 7.9 assists and 13.7 rebounds. He leads the team in all three of these categories.
Considering he’s the focal point of the offense, the entire offense runs through him. He facilitates the ball and will have a huge advantage in the paint in this game. We already think the Nuggets will win this one, adding this prop bet will only increase your winnings.