The Denver Nuggets (28-13 SU, 21-19-1 ATS) head to Crypto.com Arena on Friday to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (22-21, 21-22) in a near pick’em matchup at sportsbooks. Can Denver earn its fifth straight victory? Find out in our Nuggets vs Clippers prediction.
- Date/Time: January 13, 10 p.m. ET
- Arena: Crypto.com Arena
- TV Coverage: ESPN, Bally Sports
- Opening Nuggets vs Clippers Odds: Nuggets -0.5 | O/U 236.0
- Nuggets vs Clippers Betting Matchup Report
Nuggets vs Clippers Opening Odds
The Nuggets, winners of four in a row, opened as the slight 0.5-point favorite on the road with the total set at 236 points. The UNDER is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings between the two teams while Denver has won seven of its last eight games against Los Angeles, giving the visitors an edge in our Nuggets vs Clippers prediction.
Get the best Nuggets vs Clippers odds for your favorite picks of the evening.
Nuggets Win Big Over Undermanned Suns
The Nuggets cruised to an easy win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, earning a 126-97 victory on home court. Nikola Jokic (21 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists) came just short of a triple-double while six others scored in double digits for the Nuggets. Torrey Craig scored just 16 points to lead the undermanned Suns in the loss.
While the Nuggets will be happy with the win, they did come out of the game pretty banged up: Jamal Murray rolled his ankle and is probable for Friday’s matchup, while Jokic is listed as questionable due to injury management for his right wrist. Denver should be in good shape if Jokic and Murray are good to go, but things could get dicey if they’re missing one or both of their stars.
Clippers Snap Six-Game Skid vs Mavericks
The Clippers halted a six-game losing streak on Tuesday, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 113-101. Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 33 points and Norman Powell had 27 to lead the Clips to victory, while Luka Doncic (43 points, 11 rebounds) was a man on a mission but couldn’t will his team to the win.
Like the Nuggets, the Clips come into this matchup somewhat banged up as leading scorer Paul George is set to miss his fourth consecutive contest with a hamstring injury. George is averaging 23.7 points per game – more than five more than Leonard, who ranks second on the team. Los Angeles is averaging just 109.2 points per game and owns the third-worst offense in the NBA.
Nuggets Player Prop: Jokic OVER 28 Points (+117)
Jokic has clearly been dealing with a nagging wrist injury but that hasn’t slowed him down too much. The big man averaged 29.2 points per game in December and has scored 28-plus in five of his last 11 contests.
Clippers Player Prop: Leonard OVER 30 Points (+125)
Leonard had his best offensive showing of the season last time out and he’ll likely need to produce something similar to give his Clippers a chance. It’s been a rocky season for Leonard but he’s scored at least 29 points in each of his last two games and 24-plus in five of his last seven.
Nuggets: Keys To Win
If Jokic and Murray are good to go, the Nuggets should have little to worry about as they’re clearly the more talented team in this matchup. If they’re missing one or both of those players, the Nuggets will need others like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. to step up – luckily, Denver has plenty of depth, with seven players scoring at least 10 points per game.
Clippers: Keys To Win
Offense doesn’t come easy for the Clippers and that’s exacerbated without their leading scorer in the lineup. That said, their best chance at beating the Nuggets will be to play to their defensive strength. Los Angeles is allowing just 110 points per game – the fourth-best mark in the NBA – so if they can keep Denver around that number, they might have a chance.
NBA Computer Pick: Nuggets ML +110
Check out more of our signature NBA and college basketball computer picks.
- Denver is 7-1-1 ATS in its last 9 games.
- The UNDER is 10-1 in Los Angeles’ last 11 home games.
- Denver is 10-5 ATS in the last 15 meetings.
