by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Dec 30, 2021
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Where to watch: Altitude, NBC Sports Bay Area
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Warriors -3.5; Warriors -160, Nuggets +140
BetMGM: Warriors -4.5; Warriors -189, Nuggets +155
Caesars: Warriors -4.5; Warriors -175, Nuggets +150
Season record
Warriors: 27-7 (1st place, Western Conference)
Nuggets: 17-16 (5th place, Western Conference)
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Warriors - Nuggets preview and analysis
Recent form
Warriors: won three of four; lost 89-86 vs. Nuggets on Tuesday
Nuggets: won two straight
Thursday is a day for home-and-homes and rematches, and this one won't be any different when the Golden State Warriors visit the Denver Nuggets to complete the home-and-home.
The teams met on Tuesday in Chase Center, where the Nuggets pulled off a slight upset with an 89-86 win. Despite the fact Steph Curry reached the 3,000 3-pointer mark, Curry was held to just 6 of 16 shooting and only 5 of 14 from distance.
Nikola Jokic continued his run of dominance on the glass with 18 rebounds to go with 22 points and five rebounds. Will Barton had 21 points as the only other Nuggets player to score in double figures. The Nuggets still won despite shooting 41.5% from the floor and just 8 of 33 from3 -point range; Barton made four of them.
"I couldn't be more proud of our guys," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "I thought Will Barton, down the stretch, made a couple of big, big plays."
Jokic blocked a potential layup from Jonathan Kuminga to preserve the win for Denver, winning back-to-back games by 3 points. The Nuggets knocked off the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
No one has been able to stop the reigning Most Valuable Player, especially on the glass. Jokic has averaged 20.5 rebounds over the last three games and had consecutive 20-plus-rebound games. For the month of December, Jokic has averaged 25.2 points and 14.3 rebounds; only once has he been held to less than 10 rebounds.
"Nikola having 18 rebounds, 22 points and making a key, key play down the stretch is why he's a great player," Malone said. "You need those types of plays to pull out wins like this."
The Warriors had their three-game winning streak end Tuesday, but they're still the top team in the NBA at 27-7. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points but took 20 shots to get there, and Gary Payton II had 11 points to go with seven rebounds.
"They were the aggressor from the start," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I loved the way we fought back in the second half and gave ourselves a chance. ... Really proud of the guys for the effort, but obviously we've got to play better."
The Warriors were 8-point favorites on Tuesday and lost against the spread for the first time in four games. Golden State will be favored for the fourth time in five games against a Nuggets team that covered for the first time in four games.
Thursday is a day for home-and-homes and rematches, and this one won't be any different when the Golden State Warriors visit the Denver Nuggets to complete the home-and-home.
The teams met on Tuesday in Chase Center, where the Nuggets pulled off a slight upset with an 89-86 win. Despite the fact Steph Curry reached the 3,000 3-pointer mark, Curry was held to just 6 of 16 shooting and only 5 of 14 from distance.
Nikola Jokic continued his run of dominance on the glass with 18 rebounds to go with 22 points and five rebounds. Will Barton had 21 points as the only other Nuggets player to score in double figures. The Nuggets still won despite shooting 41.5% from the floor and just 8 of 33 from3 -point range; Barton made four of them.
"I couldn't be more proud of our guys," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "I thought Will Barton, down the stretch, made a couple of big, big plays."
Jokic blocked a potential layup from Jonathan Kuminga to preserve the win for Denver, winning back-to-back games by 3 points. The Nuggets knocked off the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
No one has been able to stop the reigning Most Valuable Player, especially on the glass. Jokic has averaged 20.5 rebounds over the last three games and had consecutive 20-plus-rebound games. For the month of December, Jokic has averaged 25.2 points and 14.3 rebounds; only once has he been held to less than 10 rebounds.
"Nikola having 18 rebounds, 22 points and making a key, key play down the stretch is why he's a great player," Malone said. "You need those types of plays to pull out wins like this."
The Warriors had their three-game winning streak end Tuesday, but they're still the top team in the NBA at 27-7. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points but took 20 shots to get there, and Gary Payton II had 11 points to go with seven rebounds.
"They were the aggressor from the start," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I loved the way we fought back in the second half and gave ourselves a chance. ... Really proud of the guys for the effort, but obviously we've got to play better."
The Warriors were 8-point favorites on Tuesday and lost against the spread for the first time in four games. Golden State will be favored for the fourth time in five games against a Nuggets team that covered for the first time in four games.
Prediction
Normally with the series shifting to the higher altitude, that would benefit the Nuggets. But I have faith in the Warriors bouncing back. They still haven't lost back-to-back games all season and it's hard to expect that to happen now. Warriors by 6
Betting trends
The Warriors are 17-6 ATS this season after winning five or six of their last seven games.
The Warriors are 14-4 ATS this season after playing a home game.
The Nuggets are 4-13 ATS off an upset win as a road dog over the last two seasons.
The Nuggets are 24-44 ATS over the past three seasons after two straight wins.
Projected starting lineup
Nuggets:
PG: Bones Hyland
SG: Will Barton
SF: Davon Reed
PF: Jeff Green
C: Nikola Jokic
SF: Davon Reed
PF: Jeff Green
C: Nikola Jokic
Warriors:
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Gary Payton II
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Otto Porter Jr.
C: Kevon Looney
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Otto Porter Jr.
C: Kevon Looney
Key injuries
Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. (back, out), Jamal Murray (ACL, out), Aaron Gordon (hamstring, out), Monte Morris (knee, questionable)
Warriors: Draymond Green (COVID, out), Klay Thompson (Achilles, out), James Wiseman (knee, out), Damion Lee (COVID, out), Jordan Poole (COVID, out)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
