Nuggets vs. Clippers preview: NBA odds, predictions, picks, best bets for Wednesday, Dec. 6
While the NBA’s In-Season Tournament takes a break before the semifinals tip off in Las Vegas on Thursday, a star-studded matchup outside the tourney takes place in Los Angeles Wednesday night.
The defending champion Denver Nuggets visit Crypto.com Arena to take on the Clippers for the third time this season. The first two matchups have been memorable, setting up a Game 3 that oddsmakers are pretty much calling even.
The Clippers dropped the first two games to the Nuggets – 111-108 in Denver on Nov. 14 and 113-104 two weeks later in Los Angeles. Things have changed since then, most notably LA showing more cohesion with James Harden and an ankle injury to Jamal Murray that could keep the Nuggets point guard out of tonight’s game.
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
- Spread: Nuggets +1 (-115), Clippers -1 (-105)
- Total: 228 (o-115/u-105)
- Moneyline: Nuggets -110, Clippers -110
Murray, who is listed as questionable, still hasn’t played against the Clippers this season, missing the first two games of the Western Conference series. So he’s a wildcard.
What we do know is the Nuggets have been playing well without him, winning three of their last four with Murray on the bench.
This is Murray’s second stint away from the team as he missed 10 games in November with a strained hamstring.
Murray is averaging 16.2 points and 7.2 assists, but Denver might miss him more on defense, which ranks 20th in efficiency over the last seven games. The Nuggets have had to play Reggie Jackson at the point, and let’s just say defense isn’t a priority for Jackson.
Denver has had problems defending from beyond the arc, ranking 19th in three-point defense, and are also a middling defense against two-pointers.
That’s going to be a problem tonight with shooters like Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Harden on the floor. While Harden is deadly from three, George and Leonard thrive in the midrange. As a team, LA has shot 44.7% from that zone this season.
The Clippers have been getting stronger on defense. They are sixth on the season in defensive efficiency and really turn up the pressure at home, where they are third in efficiency, behind only Minnesota and Houston. And they rank third in defending the three.
While Denver has shot 36.3% from three this season (15th), that number drops to 33.8% on the road (25th), which is nearly six points worse than what the Nuggets shoot at Ball Arena.
Even if Murray plays tonight, you have to believe the Nuggets will be cautious with his ankle and limit his minutes. And if he’s out, that should shift things even further toward LA.
