Nuggets vs. Jazz Expert NBA Betting Analysis and Free Pick (Archive)
The Denver Nuggets (28-22) take on the Utah Jazz (30-21) on ESPN this Wednesday evening. Utah has lost five in a row while the Nuggets are looking to end this road trip with a 5-1 record. But Denver did lose 130-115 in Minnesota last night. And what about the NBA odds?
Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz
Wednesday, February 02, 2022 – 10:00 PM EST at Vivint Arena
The Jazz (21-29-1 ATS) are a 1.5-point favorite over the Nuggets (21-29 ATS) at BMR’s top-rated sportsbooks. Utah is surprisingly one of the worst bets at home this year with an 8-17 ATS record, down from an NBA-best 27-14-1 ATS last season. But the Jazz are looking to finish 4-0 against Denver this season.
Season Recap: Utah leads 3-0
Nothing better for a five-game losing streak than drawing an opponent you’ve owned, but is the 3-0 record for Utah misleading? When the teams first met in October, Nikola Jokić was outstanding. He made 8-of-9 shots and scored 24 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in just 15 minutes of first-half action. A knee injury knocked Jokić, who was a plus-7, out of the game, and Utah came back to win 122-110.
Donovan Mitchell (22 points and 6 assists) and Rudy Gobert (23 points and 16 rebounds) were the usual stars for Utah, but now the roles are reversed. Despite a toe injury, Jokić is fine and playing at a high level, but Mitchell (concussion) and Gobert (calf) remain out as this Utah losing streak continues.
When the teams met again, Jokić had a meaty triple-double (26 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 assists), but Utah won 115-109 after a monster shooting game for Bojan Bogdanović (36 points). Not only was it Bogdanović’s only 30-point game this season, but he had a season-high 13 rebounds with Gobert inactive.
In the third matchup in January, the Nuggets were up 88-87 late in the third quarter before Utah stunned them with a 15-0 run. Denver never cut it to single digits again and was outscored 34-14 in the fourth quarter in a 125-102 loss. It was an odd game as Mitchell was a minus-4 in 35:22 of action while Gobert was a plus-36 in his 35 minutes.
But the Jazz are expected to have neither player tonight and those aren’t the only losses.
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Who Lost Worse Against Minnesota?
Coincidentally, both teams lost to Minnesota in their last game. On Sunday, the Jazz lost 126-106, but they lost more than just the game. Joe Ingles tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Ingles is a key reserve and had been starting with the other injuries the Jazz have.
The Timberwolves ran away with the game during a 40-point third quarter where Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18 points. Bogdanović led Utah with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough.
Last night, the Nuggets had a similar performance in Minnesota, but this time it was the second quarter where the team lost the game. The Timberwolves outscored Denver 39-23 in the second quarter before winning 130-115. The Nuggets only shot 42.7% from the field while the Timberwolves hit 19 threes.
These teams are among the worst in the league after a loss. The Nuggets are 8-13 ATS after a loss and the Jazz are 7-13 ATS (worst in the league). All things considered, the Jazz look to be limping into this game in worse shape than the Nuggets. But Denver is only 2-6 ATS when playing on no rest this season.
Prediction
Jokić’s numbers have been too great against Utah this year to think he can’t get a win while the Jazz are without Mitchell, Gobert, and Ingles. I like for Denver to rebound from last night and end this road trip on a high note for your NBA picks this Wednesday.
NBA Pick: Nuggets +1.5 (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.