Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz Prediction, Preview, and Odds

Denver goes on the road to meet the Jazz on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The Nuggets enter this game with a 26-12 record and they are currently in third place in the Western Conference. Denver has won nine of their last 11 games. The Jazz have found a bit of form even though they hold an 18-20 record. Utah is in 11th place in the West as they have won eight of their last 10 games. These two teams will tip off at 10 P.M. EST.

Nuggets have won 9 of last 11

Denver is 26-12 overall this season. The Nuggets are in third place in the Western Conference as they are just one game back of the Timberwolves for the top spot in the conference. The Nuggets have won three of their last four games. They have also won nine of their last 11 outings leading into Wednesday.

In their last game, the Nuggets defeated the Pistons 131-114 on Sunday, Jan. 7. Detroit put up a good fight in the first half, but Denver separated themselves in the second to dominate the game. Denver shot 58.8% from the field and 37% from behind the 3-point line. The Nuggets finished with 35 assist on 47 made baskets in the win. Jamal Murray led the team with 37 points on 14-for-24 shooting.

Nikola Jokic leads the team in most categories. He is averaging 25.5 points per game while grabbing 11.8 rebounds per game and 9.2 assists.

Julian Strawther is the only injury for the Nuggets as he will be out for Wednesday’s game.

Denver is averaging 116.1 points per game which ranks 11th in the league. They are shooting 49.5% from the field which ranks fourth. The Nuggets are the 10th best 3-point shooting team with 37.4% from behind the arc.

On defense, the Nuggets are allowing 110.7 points per game which ranks them third best. Denver is giving up 46.3% from the field which ranks ninth. Denver is the 13th best 3-point defensive team as they are allowing 36.2% from deep.

The Nuggets are 17-21 against the spread this season. They are 7-12 against the spread when they have played on the road. Denver is 5-10 against the spread when they have been a road favorite. The under is 22-15-1 when the Nuggets have played this year. The under is 11-7 when Denver has played on the road.Denver is the fourth slowest team in the NBA as they are average 99.8 possessions per game.

Jazz finding form entering this game

The Utah Jazz are 18-20 overall this season. They are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and they are just a half of a game out of the Lakers for the final spot in the play-in game. Utah is also 4.5 games out of sixth place in the conference. The Jazz have won five of their last six games entering Wednesday night. They have also won eight of their last 10 games, too.

In their last game, the Jazz defeated the Bucks 132-116 on Monday, Jan. 8. Utah started the game off quick as they opened up a huge lead. The Jazz led by as much as 33 points whereas Milwaukee’s largest lead was only one point in the game. Utah shot 52.2% from the field and 45.5% from behind the 3-point line. Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson both scored a team-high 21 points as six players reached double-figures.

Markkanen is the leading scorer for the Jazz with 23.5 points per game. He is also grabbing the most rebounds with 8.6 boards per game. Clarkson leads the assist department with 5.2 per game.

The Jazz do not have any injuries for Wednesday night’s game.

Utah is averaging 115.1 points per game which ranks 16th. The Jazz are shooting 46.1% from the field which places them 25th. They are the fifth worst 3-point shooting team in the league as they are making 35.1% from behind the arc.

On defense, the Jazz are giving up 118.7 points per game which ranks 23rd. Utah is forcing their opponents to make 47.8% from the field which ranks 19th. They are also the 19th ranked 3-point defensive team as they are giving up 37.4% from behind the arc.

Utah is 22-16 against the spread this season. They are 12-4 against the spread this season when they have played at home. The Jazz are 9-3 against the spread when they have been home underdogs. The over is 20-17-1 against the spread when the Jazz have played this year. The over is 9-6-1 when Utah has played at home this year. The Jazz rank 10th in possessions as they are averaging 102.8 per game this season.

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Denver is back with their strong play as they have won nine of their last 11 games. The Nuggets’ defense is one of the best in the league which will force the Jazz into tough situations all game. The Jazz have struggled at home as they have a 7-15 record straight up. The Nuggets feature a few of the best players in the league which includes Nikola Jokic. Utah’s team only succeeds when multiple players score in double-digits like they did in their last game against Milwaukee. But, that won’t happen in this game on Wednesday. Expect Denver’s strong defense to lead the way make this a low-scoring game.

Take the Nuggets to cover. 

Prediction: Denver Nuggets -6.5

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The Nuggets will control this game with their slow paced tempo and defensive ingenuity. Denver is one of the slowest teams in the league as they rank fourth in that category. They rarely allow second chance points as the Jazz will struggle to score in bunches. The under is 11-7 when Denver plays on the road. 

Take the under on Wednesday. 

Prediction: Under 238.5

Liam Keating is a local sports journalist in the Kansas City metro area where he covers high school athletes. As a former NAIA college athlete, Liam could not stray far from the sports industry as he studied journalism. Liam has covered an array of sports from high schoolers to college athletes to professional soccer. He is excited to showcase his skills in a new arena of work, sports betting. Liam is pumped to join the great team at Winners and Whiners. Follow along for in-depth previews along with killer picks. You can be up-to-date on Liam’s work on twitter at @ liamkeating7