Jazz vs. Nuggets Prediction and Odds for Friday, October 28 (Jokic and Denver Avenge Opening Night Loss)
By Josh Yourish
The Utah Jazz are supposed to be losing, this team that Danny Ainge has assembled, or dismantled, is 4-1. Lauri Markkanen is leading the way averaging 22 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He will likely be going head-to-head with Nikola Jokic, the two-time MVP that has his Denver Nuggets at 3-2.
These two teams matched up to open the season and the Jazz took the win 123-102. Can they make it two in a row over Denver and move to 5-1 to start the year?
Jazz vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total
Jazz vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick
The Jazz seem to have a lot of nice pieces. There is so much talent in the NBA now, that it is hard to be bad. They have assembled a bunch of younger players who never really got a chance to play a big role elsewhere in the league and some veterans like Mike Conley and Kelly Olynyk who can play important roles.
However, I think that Ainge’s plan is to lose games and that plan is going to come to fruition one way or another. Rudy Gay is out for this game, and Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler are questionable.
The Nuggets are going to be a contender this season, they are still working Jamal Murray back into the rotation. Murray scored 13 in the Nuggets win over the Lakers two days ago, and is averaging 12 points per game. Jokic was unstoppable that night, he scored 31 points, had 13 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets seem like they might be a guy or two short on the bench, Jokic was a +28 against LA, but Jeff Green was their only non-starter to have a positive plus/minus. However, that will cost them against playoff teams not the Lakers or the Jazz.
Underdogs are very valuable in the NBA regular season, but the Jazz are trying to lose games and if they are without Sexton and Kessler that will be a problem for their bench depth. I believe in the Nuggets as a real contender in the West, so they cannot start the year 3-3 with two losses to the Lauri Markkanen Jazz.
Pick: Nuggets -8 (-112)
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