Nuggets vs Celtics Prediction NBA Picks 1/19/24

Boston Celtics (32-9) vs Denver Nuggets (28-14)

Game Info: Friday, January 19, 2024 at 7:30 pm (TD Garden)

Betting Odds: Boston Celtics -6.5 -- Over/Under: 234

The Denver Nuggets travel to the TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Here’s a Nuggets vs Celtics Prediction.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have been in great shape as they've won 11 of their last 15 games overall, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after getting beaten by the 76ers in a 126-121 road defeat on Tuesday. Nikola Jokic led the team with 25 points, 19 rebounds and three assists on 11 of 20 shooting, Michael Porter Jr added 20 points while Jamal Murray chipped in with 17 points and 10 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 50 percent from the field and 12 of 29 from the 3-point line as they poured in 78 points in the first half to take the narrow lead, only to go ice-cold in the fourth quarter where the 76ers used an 18-2 run to slip away from them in a game that could've went either way.

Denver Nuggets Player Facts

• Nikola Jokic is the only player to have recorded a 30-point, 20-rebound game this season.
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ranks 8th amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.5) this season.

Boston Celtics

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have been in red-hot form as they've won 12 of their last 15 games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after blowing past the lowly Spurs in a 117-98 home win on Wednesday. Jayson Tatum led the team with 24 points, Jrue Holiday added 22 points while Jaylen Brown chipped in with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Celtics shot 46 percent from the field and 18 of 38 from the 3-point line as they took care of business early, exploding for 70 points in the first half to build a 30-point lead, allowing them to cruise in the second half and rest their starters early.

Boston Celtics Player Facts

• Jayson Tatum ranks 2nd amongst qualified Guards for rebounds per game (8.4) this season.
• Jrue Holiday ranks 8th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for 3P% (42.0%) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Celtics rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+10.0).
• The Celtics rank 1st in the league for rebounds per game this season (47.5).
• The Nuggets rank 29th in the league for free throws made per game this season (15.7).
• The Nuggets rank 2nd in the league for Q1 opponent points per game this season (26.5).

Nuggets vs Celtics Prediction

The Nuggets were on a great run before they got stopped in their tracks by the 76ers on Tuesday, while the Celtics have now won 12 of their last 15 following their dominant win over the slumping Spurs on Wednesday. The Nuggets are certainly capable of pulling off the upset in this spot, but the Celtics are still a perfect 20-0 at home this season, so it's hard to split these two squads at the moment. You can make an argument for either side here, but I'm expecting a close contest, so I'm taking any points I can get.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.