The Utah Jazz visit the Denver Nuggets as favorites on the NBA betting lines. Taking into account the latest news, stats, and injury reports, Denver continues to miss several players while Utah sports one of the NBA’s healthiest rosters. But the best player in this game is with Denver so is an upset possible?
Northwest Division Foes Resume Rivalry
Jokic Always Gives Nuggets a Chance
Every NBA betting preview we’ve done of Denver usually includes Nikola Jokic. The reigning MVP is the only reason this team is not fighting the Houston Rockets for the worst record in the conference. Jokic leads his team in every stat, including having three game-clinching blocks, the most notable being over Golden State.
Nikola Jokic has 3 game-winning blocks in 2021. pic.twitter.com/mCWtPKQ5y2
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) December 29, 2021
Despite his best efforts, the Nuggets are barely above .500 and are ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in rating: 20th on offense, 16th on defense, and 18th in net. That is to be expected when Will Barton is the team’s second-leading scorer.
Denver continues to lose players whether through injury or COVID protocols. But if the likes of Jeff Green, Bones Hyland and Monte Morris can return, it makes Denver a slightly better bet online.
Jazz Remain Hungry to Prove Themselves
Despite having won 15 of their last 18 games, Utah finds itself a tier below Golden State and Phoenix. The Jazz saw their six-game winning streak snapped by the Warriors on their own court. They bounced back and beat the New Orleans Pelicans but failed to cover the spread.
Utah has now failed to cover the spread in eight of its last 10 games and is just 18-19 against the spread (ATS) for the season. However, the Jazz have generally outperformed on the road: 13-3 straight-up and 10-6 ATS. That’s mainly thanks to their spreads being more reasonable.
The Jazz owe plenty of their wins to having a healthy roster. Eric Paschall and Hassan Whiteside are the only notables who are missing. After 37 games, Utah leads the NBA in offense and as long as they’re this hot, they should be a favorite in the online sportsbook.
Jazz vs Nuggets Head to Head
| Utah | Stat | Denver |
| 6-4 | Record | 4-6 |
| 5-5-0 | Point Spread | 5-5-0 |
| 7-3-0 | Over/Under | 7-3-0 |
| 114.40 | Average Score | 109.80 |
| 58.10 | Half Time | 59.40 |
Jazz vs Nuggets Game Information
- Date: Wednesday
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- Location: Ball Arena
- Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Jazz vs Nuggets Betting Lines
| Utah | Denver | |
| -160 | Moneyline | +140 |
| 64.47% | Implied Probability | 35.53% |
| -3½
(-110) |
Point Spread | +3½
(-110) |
| 222½
(-110o) |
Total | 222½
(-110u) |
Jazz vs Nuggets Prediction
A line of 3½ points is a decent spread for the Jazz, who are significantly better on paper here. The Jazz have one of the best defenses as a road team, allowing the fewest points and the third-lowest field goal percentage. This is even more impressive considering Utah’s 11th-ranked pace.
Jokic should continue to put up stats against Utah. He has averaged 28.7 points in his last 14 games against the Jazz and Denver is 8-6 against Utah. But Jokic had a lot more help, and without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets are only 1-3 on both sides.
Pick: Utah Jazz -3½
With a suffocating defense, most of the Jazz’s road games have gone under the total: ten of 16 to be exact. However, there tends to be more scoring when these two franchises meet as nine of their last dozen games including their last meeting in Denver. Bet on this one to continue this trend.
