The top two teams in the Western Conference battle it out when the Denver Nuggets (44-19, 28-4 home) host the Memphis Grizzlies (38-23, 12-18 away). Friday’s contest will be the regular season rubber match between the two franchises, each owning a victory over each other earlier this year.
The showdown tips off at 10 p.m. EST inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Denver is a 5.5-point favorite and the over/under total is 232.5 points.
What to Know – Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies head into Friday’s battle winners of their last three and six of their last eight matchups. Memphis throttled the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, handing the hosts a 113-99 defeat. The Grizzlies are in second place in the Western Conference, five games back of the Nuggets.
Offensively, the Grizzlies are ninth in the NBA in scoring, pouring in 115.9 points per game while hitting 46.9% of their attempts from the field and 35.3% from the 3-point line. On defense, Memphis is sixth in scoring, limiting opposing teams to 111.6 ppg, 44.7% from the floor, and 35.6% from three.
Ja Morant paces the Memphis offense averaging 27.1 ppg, good enough for ninth in the league. Desmond Bane is second on the team scoring 21.4 ppg and coming off he best outing of 2023. Bane hit 12-of-17 shots, including 6-of-9 from three, tallying 30 points in the victory over the Rockets.
Memphis is 29-30-2 against the spread this year and 10-19-1 ATS on the road. The Grizzlies own a 7-3 record ATS over their last ten games against the Nuggets.
What to Know – Denver Nuggets
The best team in the Western Conference has gotten here thanks to the best home record in the NBA. Denver is 7-3 over its last ten games and has won its last six at home.
The Nuggets sit sixth in the league, averaging 117.2 ppg thanks to a league-best 51% shooting from the floor and 39.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Denver’s defense ranks 13th, holding teams to 112.8 ppg, 48.0% shooting from the field, and 34.6% from deep.
Seven players average in double-figures for the Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic and his 24.6 ppg. Jamal Murray adds 20.1 ppg, and Aaron Gordon (17.0 ppg) will have to step it up offensively and to make up for the loss of Michael Porter Jr. (17.0 ppg), who is out with a heel injury.
Denver finds itself 35-27-1 ATS and an impressive 21-10-1 ATS on its home floor. Over their recent six games at home, the Nuggets are a perfect 6-0 ATS.
The Pick is In
Denver is nearly unstoppable at home, where the Nuggets average over 120 ppg and shoot above 50% from the field. Yes, The Grizzlies have won three in a row, but Memphis has struggled recently on the road.
Jokic and Murray pair up to do what the two have been doing all season, and the Nugget’s defense steps up on their home floor like they’ve done all year.
The Pick: Denver Nuggets -5.5
