Denver Nuggets will host the Golden State Warriors in the NBA action on Monday evening. The hosts look forward to continuing with good displays. The away side searches for a getaway from the losing streak, and they want to get back on the winning track.
Denver still hopes to secure the pole position in its division, and they will be closer to that achievement if they continue winning. The home side is full of confidence, and they eye another victory in front of the home fans. On the other hand, Golden State hasn’t been that convincing lately. The visitors struggle with injuries, but they look forward to breaking their run of defeats.
Denver Nuggets – Will they keep challenging the pole position?
The Nuggets have enjoyed a quite successful run lately, as they lost only once in the previous nine games. That streak helped them improve to a 38-26 record in the Northwest Division, being just two wins away from the top-placed Utah Jazz. It is going to be their fourth consecutive game on the home court, and Denver eyes the third win in a row. In the most recent one, the Nuggets celebrated a 138-130 overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Denver had an excellent 54.0 field goal percentage, while Nikola Jokic enjoyed his 17th triple-double this season.
The Serbian international tops the Nuggets’ charts with 25.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, eight assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on average. Will Barton produces 14.8 pts, 4.9 rebs, and 3.8 assists, while Aaron Gordon has a similar record with 14.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Regarding the roster health, Michael Porter Jr. will be out of the contest, while Will Barton is listed as questionable for this encounter.
Expected Line-Up: Monte Morris, Bryn Forbes, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, Nikola Jokic
with best odds
Golden State Warriors– Can they cope with selection issues?
Unlike their opponents, the Warriors cannot be content with their recent results after losing four times in a row. Nevertheless, they remained second in the Pacific Division, but the top spot is not so close. Golden State is currently at a 43-21 record, being eight wins behind the Phoenix Suns. It’s going to be their fourth straight game on the road, and they lost the previous three. The latest defeat came against the Los Angeles Lakers, who were better in a 124-116 win. Although Golden State hit half of their field goal attempts, they couldn’t stop LeBron James, who scored 56 points, ten rebounds, three assists, and one block for 39 minutes spent on the court.
Stephen Curry leads the Warriors’ offense with 25.8 points, 6.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per contest. Andrew Wiggins produces 17.4 pts, 4.3 rebs, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, while Klay Thompson averages 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and three assists. Jordan Poole is another player that contributes with a double-digit number of points – 16.3 – while Kevon Looney controls the paint with 7.5 rebounds per match. However, the Warriors still have selection headaches. The list of unavailable players is long and contains Stephen Curry, Gary Payton II, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green.
Expected Line-Up: Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, Otto Porter Jr., Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney
Expert Pick #1 – Denver Nuggets -8 @-110
The Nuggets are firm favorites in this clash since the Warriors will miss the majority of starters on Monday evening. I believe the hosts will cover the spread and celebrate a comfortable victory. Therefore, I’ll back them as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 222 @-110
The Over was a pretty frequent outcome in both teams’ recent games. It cashed eight times in the Warriors’ last nine matches, as well as in four of Denver’s previous six. That’s why I’ll take the Over as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Nikola Jokic Over 24.5 @+100
Nikola Jokic should keep up where he left off in the latest appearance. He also averages 28.5 points in matches against Golden State, and I expect him to be very efficient again. I believe he will produce at least 25 points on the plus money odds as the third pick.
