NBA: Phoenix Suns VS Denver Nuggets Pick and Predictions 12/25/2022

Game: 10:40 PM ET,  Sunday, December 25th, 2022

Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado

TV:  ABC & ESPN

Suns: 19-14, 4th place Western Conference

Nuggets: 20-11, 1st place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread: Nuggets -3.5, O/U 230.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Nuggets -3.5, O/U 230.5

Fanduel: Point Spread: Nuggets -4, O/U 231

Suns: PF Torrey Craig, SF Mikal Bridges, C Deandre Ayton, PG Chris Paul, SG Landry Shamet

Nuggets: PF Michael Porter JR, SF Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic, SG Kentavious Caldwell Pope, PG Jamal Murray

An NBA Western Conference marquee matchup on Christmas Day.  If you tune into ESPN or ABC on Christmas Day you will be treated all day to big matchups featuring big stars… but this one… the last one… will be a doozy.  This is a potential Western Conference Finals matchup that features some guaranteed future Hall of Famers still playing with gusto.  The matchup also counts big time in the Standings.  At this point in the season the Western Conference is knotted at the top and the bottom.  Phoenix is in 4th place but with a couple of wins could easily be in first place… Denver is in first place but with a couple of wins could easily be in 4th place.  That is how it goes at 30-40 games in an 82 game season… the Cream has yet to completely rise… and the West have 4-5 teams that can make claim to being the cream.  The Phoenix Suns are at a decided disadvantage with star SG Devin Booker suffering a groin injury that has caused him to sit out three games.  Devin is a necessary piece for Phoenix as he is the most likely to go for 40 on a good shooting night. He is listed as Quest, but will most likely try to give it a go… remember Christmas Day is huge for these players.. Both in national exposure to possible awards and in national exposure in advertising opportunities.  The Denver Nuggets have been on a tear as of late… It has all been made possible by the OUTLANDISH statlines that Nikola Jokic keeps putting up.  At times Nikola seems completely unstoppable and he has quickly risen the ranks to become one of the greatest NBA Centers OF ALL TIME. He is a 2-time MVP and strongly making a case for being a 3X NBA MVP.  If that happens?... He only needs a little more (rings, Finals appearances)  to become immortal.  Denver is also very luckily healthy at the moment.  The surrounding players for Jokic simply have not been for the last couple of years.  Health is the thing that could put this team in the winner’s circle.  The Great Betting Opportunity is of course how you feel about a spread favoring a healthy Denver at home?... Let’s check the numbers and wait for that spread to post.

The Phoenix Suns are a fantastic, deep team.  They entered the “bubble” in 2020 as a perennial bad team… and emerged as a perennial powerhouse.  All it took was the maturation of Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges… and the addition of PG Chris Paul.  C Deandre Ayton was thought to be the focal point for the club when he was taken #1 in 2018… but as of now… he is a pretty good Center surrounded by STARS.  Phoenix is on a 2-game losing streak that coincides with SG Devin Booker not playing because of injury.  He will need to play.  In their last game they lost to the Western Conference Powerhouse Memphis Grizzlies 125-100.  A tough blowout loss.  In that game Ayton had 18 points… CP3 had 10 points, Landry Shamet had 15 points… no one broke 20, noone had double digit assists or rebounds… They got trounced.  In addition to missing Devin Booker the club is missing PG Cameron Payne and PF Cameron Johnson… yes they are both bench pieces but they are also both key pieces in the team’s depth… while Johnson will not be back Christmas day… Payne may be.

The Denver Nuggets have won 6 of their last 7 games.  Their lone loss was a shockingly disappointing bow-out loss to the terrible Lakers.  We all are entitled to a Mulligan from time to time.  Currently they are on a 3-game winning streak.  The last game was a 120-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. In that game Nikola Jokic raised eyebrows on his way to 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists.  It raised eyebrows because it was his “worst” game of the three.  Nikola got 25 points and 12 assists of support from PG Jamal Murray… and the Nuggets simply never looked back.  Nikola was only required to put in 35 minutes of playing time to get those numbers.  To think that he was available to EVERY NBA team at one point when he was selected in the second round of his draft is mind blowing!!!

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PHO: 19-14, 17-16 ATS, 15-18 O/U, 5-9 on the road.

DEN: 20-11, 14-17 ATS, 14-17 O/U, 11-3 at home.

The Phoenix Suns are 10th in scoring with 115.2 points per game, 15th in rebounds with 43.2 per game, 1st in AST/TO ratio (thanks CP3) with 2.0, and 7th in blocked shots with 5.3 per game.

The Denver Nuggets are 8th in scoring with 115.6 points per game, 16th in rebounds with 43.3 per game, 3rd in AST/TO ratio (thanks Nikola) with 1.9, and 21st in blocks per game with 4.4.

Our prediction for Sunday, December 25th is…. Nuggets 121 - Suns 111

Bet on the Nuggets ATS.  The Suns are deep and SG Devin Booker will give it a go.  But at the moment the Nuggets have everything going.  The Nuggets are healthy.  Nikola Jokic is killing the game… statline after statline.  The momentum and the health favor the Nuggets as of press time and a safe bet is to watch them keep rolling.  Plus Deandre Ayton is a fine Center but he tries to dominate with his athleticism… while Jokic dominates with court vision…. Jokic will win that matchup easily.  

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Phoenix is 4-0 ATS against Denver at Denver the last 3 seasons.

Denver is 5-1 ATS in home games where the total is 230 or greater this season.

Denver is 3 OVER and 10 UNDER when the total is 230 or greater this season.

Suns: PG Chris Paul.  Among the greatest point guards of all time Chris Paul can hold his head up high!  He is a master of the position.  He is also getting very long in the tooth to not yet have a ring.  How many more Great seasons can he possibly have where he loses in the big Nationally televised games?  Watch him close.. It may be the last burst.

Nuggets: C Nikola Jokic.  The man is pure basketball.  A 2X MVPp who is putting up (in the last month) all-time, well rounded, numbers.  He is in line for a 3rd MVP unless the basketball press decides to simply “give it away” to someone else.  He is the only reason to watch the Nuggets… and his skills are so pure we have trouble even judging his teammates… He seems raise everyone’s level.

Suns: Monty “all class” Williams

Nuggets: Michael “waiting to get over the hump” Malone