NBA: Denver Nuggets vs. LA Clippers Preview, Odds, Prediction

Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers bring the game of the night in the NBA. The two title contenders clash at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with the imperative on both sides demanding a win. While the Nuggets play excellent basketball and top the conference, the Clippers are on the edge when it comes to playing in the playoffs or having to endure the play-in challenges. 

Preview

Denver Nuggets (28-13) have four wins in a row, all at home, and we can say that the Nuggets capitalized on the home-court edge in the best possible way. One by one, the Clippers, the Cavaliers, the Lakers, and the Suns fell in front of Mike Malone’s guys.

The most recent win was over the Suns, who lost in Colorado, 126-97. This event can’t measure Denver’s quality because the Suns appeared without all the important starters. Yet, Denver didn’t want to experience what Golden State did the night before and played with 100% of the power. 

Jokic was once again short of a triple-double, having 21 points, 18 boards and nine assists. Bone Hyland came off the bench, scoring 21 points, five threes, in 24 minutes on the floor. Jamal Murray stuffed 16, KCP one fewer, while Zeke Nnaji added 15 also off the bench. The Nuggets had 30 assists.

Los Angeles Clippers (22-21, TBA) lost six straight events before beating the Mavericks at home. It was a 113-101 victory for Tyronn Lue’s crew, who showed some pretty poor performances over the last two, or three weeks. 

After losing to the Hawks at home, many believed that the same was about to happen against the Mavericks. Though, the Clippers were smart, allowing Luka Doncic to pour as many points as he could but stopping other players. Luka had 43 buckets, but no other player could step in.

Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard led the way for the hosts with 33 points and nine boards, and he had a sidekick in this one. It was Norman Powell who came off the bench to score 27 buckets. These two guys were the best in LAC, while Marcus Morris Sr and Terance Mann had 12 each. The Clippers also outrebounded the rivals, 46-32.

Head to Head Games

This is the third game this year between these two units. Denver was better in both previous, 114-104 in LA and 122-91 seven days ago in Colorado. None of the LAC’s starters scored more than eight points, and both Kawhi and PG played. The Nuggets were up at halftime, 66-32. They had seven players with 10 or more points.

Prediction

This is the first game for the Nuggets on the road following a good schedule. They are still fresh and have enough power to play strong, which is why we bet on their victory at Crypto.com. With all due respect toward the Clippers, they don’t have the quality to compete with Jokic and the boys at this moment. Maybe they accelerate until the end of the year, but right now, they don’t stand a chance against the top seed in the West, who is in perfect shape currently. 

Pick: Denver Nuggets win