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The LA Clippers (14-11) take on the Denver Nuggets (12-10) Friday evening. Tip-off from Ball Arena is set for 9 p.m. ET. (NBA TV) Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Clippers vs. Nuggets odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Clippers lead 2-0
The Clippers have dropped 2 straight after a 117-106 defeat to the Houston Rockets Sunday. C Ivica Zubac had 21 points and 12 boards. He’s having a breakout year with 14.8 PPG and 12.2 RPG. There is good news on the horizon, though, as F Kawhi Leonard (knee) has begun practicing for the first time time season. He will not suit up for this one, though.
The Nuggets are coming off a 141-111 roasting of the Atlanta Hawks Sunday. C Nikola Jokic had a monstrous 48 boards, 14 rebounds and 8 assists. F Michael Porter Jr. supplemented 26 points while G Jamal Murray (hamstring) was out.
Clippers at Nuggets odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NBA odds. Lines last updated at 1:56 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Clippers +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Nuggets -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Clippers +5.5 (-105) | Nuggets -5.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 226.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Clippers at Nuggets key injuries
Clippers
- F Derrick Jones Jr. (hamstring) out
- F Kawhi Leonard (knee) out
- G Terance Mann (finger) out
- F P.J. Tucker (personal) out
Nuggets
- G Jamal Murray (hamstring) questionable
- F Dario Saric (ankle) out
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
Clippers at Nuggets picks and predictions
Prediction
Nuggets 111, Clippers 108
Moneyline
Murray has been limited in practice, and his status for this one is highly in question. The Nuggets are 4-1 without Murray thus far. Even without Murray, the Nuggets have enough to skate by the Clippers.
No thanks to the -275, though. I’m taking NIKOLA JOKIC OVER 1.5 3-POINTERS (-155). He’s going to try to bring Zubac out to the perimeter, where he’s less comfortable, and he has gone 3-for-6 from distance in each of the last 2 games.
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Against the spread
The Clippers have won each of the first 2 matchups by 5 and 4 points thus far. Harden had 23 points and 16 dimes in the first meeting, and he had 39 and 11 in the last meeting Dec. 1. Something about this matchup puts him in the zone to step up.
That’s why I’m going CLIPPERS +5.5 (-105).
Over/Under
The Nuggets push the pace at fifth in the NBA, whereas the Clippers are much more deliberate at a 24th-ranked pace. The Nuggets are 6-3-1 O/U in their last 10, and the Clips are 5-5. Against one another, the Over is just 2-7-1 in the last 10. The Under has hit in the last 2 at Ball Arena.
LEAN UNDER 226.5 (-105).
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