The NBA once again has two games slated to take place on Thursday night as this is always a huge night for the league. In the second game of the night, it will be the Denver Nuggets visiting the Golden State Warriors in a Western Conference showdown.
Denver is coming into this game with some momentum as this team has won four of their last five games to get to 24-11 on the year. The Nuggets are back near the top of the standings in the Western Conference as they look to win a second straight title.
Golden State is coming into this game with an overall record of 16-17, and they are just trying to get back into the playoff race. The Warriors did just pick up a win in their most recent game, but at some point this team has to find consistency.
The Nuggets are coming into this matchup as a 2.5-point betting favorite over the Warriors in San Francisco.
Jokic Setting Tone For Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have not followed the recent trend of loading up with superstars, but they haven’t needed to go that route. Denver has one of the best players in the league in Nikola Jokic, and he is having another monster season.
The former league MVP is leading the Nuggets with 25.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game. Jamal Murray has chipped in with over 19 points per game this season and he does give the Nuggets a threat from the perimeter.
This Nuggets team continues to be solid on both ends of the floor, and that defense will need to step up and play well in this matchup.
Shooting Woes Plaguing Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the best offensive teams in the league over the past decade, but that’s not the case this season. Golden State is still scoring nearly 117 points per game, but they just haven’t been able to make shots with ease this season.
Stephen Curry hasn’t started slumping at all as he is still scoring nearly 28 points per game, and he can take over a game in a hurry. Golden State continues to play without Draymond Green, but some other stars are having a disappointing season.
The Warriors want to make shots to win this game, but they are also going to have to figure out a way to slow down Jokic in the paint.
Denver Gets Job Done
The Golden State Warriors do look like a team that is starting to turn the corner a bit, but they still have a ways to go to get to the top of the Western Conference. Golden State still doesn’t have a good enough offense, and they are going to struggle to stop Nikola Jokic in this matchup.
Denver just continues to rack up the wins even though they are not one of the flashiest teams in the league. The Nuggets are a much better team on their home floor, but they are good enough to win big games anywhere.
Bet the Denver Nuggets -2.5 as they are going to beat the Golden State Warriors by at least three points on Thursday night.
