Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction
| Game Time | 8:00 pm EST |
| Cleveland Cavaliers Line | -2 |
| Denver Nuggets Line | +2 |
| Total | 237 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Below is a detailed analysis for Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets game.
PREGAME WARM-UP:
In this high caliber duel between the best team of the whole NBA and the 4th-best team currently in the West, the Denver Nuggets are hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nuggets are coming off a loss on Christmas Day that snapped their previous two-game winning streak, but they have been playing much better lately, with just two defeats in their last seven games. The Cavaliers are rightfully the team with the best record in the league this season, and have been scorching hot once again, with just one loss in their last ten games, as they are on the first stop of a four-game road trip.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction
Denver Nuggets Injury Report: Jamal Murray, Daron Holmes and Vlatko Cancar are out
Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report: Luke Travers is day-to-day, Isaac Okoro is out
Denver Nuggets Form and Trends
The Nuggets have a 16-12 record this season and are sitting on the 5th place of the West. Denver is 11-16-1 against the spread and 17-10-1 in over/under. The Nuggets have an 8-4 home record but are 5-6-1 against the spread with a +4-point differential. Denver is 5-2 in their last 7 games, but 1-3 against the spread in their last 4. Under is 3-0 in their last 3 home games.
Denver is coming off a 100-110 loss in Phoenix, as they shot with 48% from the field but with just 28% from beyond the arc. Nikola Jokic led Denver’s offense with 25 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, but dished only two assists.
Jokic leads Denver in scoring with an average of 30.7 points, in rebounding with 12.6 and in assists made with 9.4. Jamal Murray adds 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
Cleveland Cavaliers Recent Form and Trends
The Cavaliers have a 26-4 record this season and are sitting on the first place of the East. They are 21-9 against the spread and 20-10 in over/under. Cleveland has a 9-3 road record, and are 8-4 against the spread with a +7.8-point differential. The Cavaliers are 9-1 in their last 10 games but 3-3 against the spread in their last 6. Over is 7-1 in their last 8 games.
The Cavaliers are coming off a 124-113 win over Utah, as they held the Jazz into just 41% shooting from the field. Four of the five Cleveland starters score double figures, led by Darius Garland with 23 points, and a team-high 8 assists.
Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring with 23.3 points, adding 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Darius Garland adds 20.3 points and a team-high 6.5 assists per game.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Nuggets are averaging 119.1 points per game, which is the third-best in the NBA. Denver shoots with 49.6% from the field, which is the second-best in the NBA, and with 37.6% from beyond the arc, which is the fifth-best in the league. Defensively, they are allowing 116.1 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the NBA.
Offensively, the Cavaliers are second-best in the league with 121.8 points per game. The Cavs boast the best percentages both in field goals, with 50.5%, and in 3-pointers, with 40.5%. Defensively, they rank 10th in the NBA, allowing 110.2 points per game.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Cavaliers won 126-114 at home. The Nuggets are 3-1 in their last 4 home meetings against the Cavaliers. Over is 5-0-1 in their last 6 meetings.
Prediction
In this Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction, the Cavaliers are coming as -2 road favorites. The Cavs are undoubtedly the favorite to win, but their road record is very similar to Denver’s home record, so I will pass on the side. Both teams are number one and four in over/under this season, as they are 37-20 to the over combined this season. Cavs are second-best offensive team in the league and have the best shooting percentages, while the Nuggets are third-best in points scored, and a top-5 team in shooting percentages, combined with the 8th-worst defense. Their previous meeting this season had 240 total points as the game went over the 232-point total. Take the over once again in this game. Nick’s Free Pick: Over 237
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