Toronto Raptors vs Denver Nuggets Betting Predictions, Odds, Picks & Line Movement
On Thursday night, the Golden Nuggets will host the Toronto Raptors as they continue to put NBA betting pressure on the Clippers for the No.3 spot on the West. Denver lost only 3 times in the last 18 games and is now caught up with the Clips in the loss column. However, they have a very tough remaining basketball wagering schedule. At the moment, they hold a 41-21 straight-up record.
Still, they struggled to cover this season, going 29-33 ATS. In the last 6 games, they covered only once. The Raptors are currently outside of the playoff picture and have only slim chances of getting in. They were solid lately, winning 5 out of the last 7 games. Still, they lost two times in the last 3 games and are now 2 games behind Washington. This season, Toronto is 26-36 straight up and 27-35 ATS. This will be the second and final game between the two in this campaign. The Raptors won the first game a month ago, 135-111.
Toronto Raptors vs Denver Nuggets Betting Odds & Line Movement
The Nuggets opened as -6 home NBA betting favorites. After a tough game last night vs the Pelicans, the basketball wagering line has dropped a bit, to -4 at the best US Sportsbooks. The total is set at 224.5
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Notes On The Toronto Raptors
This weird season has probably hit the Raptors hardest of all the teams in the league. They’ve been forced to play home games in Tampa and their key players have missed a ton of games due to the health and safety protocols. With all these issues, they struggled to find their groove this whole season and will likely miss the playoffs. Plus, losing Ibaka and Gasol in the offseason really hurt them. As soon as they got a half-decent center in Kem Birch, they’ve shown a significant improvement.
Overall they haven’t been that bad, ranking 18th in offensive and 14th in defensive rating. However, they lost a lot of close games. Their key players, particularly Pascal Siakam, again and again, failed to perform in clutch situations. In their last game, the Toronto Raptors kept up with Brooklyn for 3 quarters but collapsed in the last 12 minutes.
They lost the final period by 16. They had 6 players in double digits, with Lowry and Anunoby leading the way scoring 24 and 21 points respectively. Birch had another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
The list of unavailable players for tonight includes Trent Jr., Boucher, and Watson Jr.
Notes On The Denver Nuggets
Despite the grim predictions, The Denver Nuggets has fared pretty well without Jamal Murray. They’ve won 7 out of 8 games without their second-best player. In addition, their guard rotation is in shambles the last couple of games with Morris and Barton also out. But, Nikola Jokic continues to dominate and Michael Porter Jr. is showing a real star potential. Last night against the Pelicans, Jokic posted a 32-7-8 line. MPJ scored 28 points and added 8 rebounds.
The undersized Argentinian guard, Facundo Campazzo also played a significant role. He scored 19, dished out 10 assists, and added 6 rebounds. Still, the Nuggets barely survived in the final seconds, winning thanks to the clutch Jokic block on Zion.
Tonight, Denver will again play without Murray, Barton, and Morris.
Toronto Raptors vs Denver Nuggets Betting Prediction & Pick: Denver -4
The Golden Nuggets are on the second night of a back-to-back NBA betting action, but the Toronto Raptors are also playing their third game in four days. Toronto has improved lately, especially on defense, but Jokic and MPJ just seem unstoppable at the moment. The Nuggets have an insanely tough basketball wagering schedule coming up and will be very motivated to put this one in the bag.
