Nets vs Nuggets Picks and Predictions: No Safety Net for Freefalling Brooklyn

With a second set of hands barely needed to count how many games the Brooklyn Nets' big three have played together since being formed, Kyrie Irving's unwavering stance, and a potentially imminent breakup between Brooklyn and James Harden, these Nets are barreling toward all-time "what if?" territory. 

While we may be left to ponder that question without a concrete answer in our future, there's another "what if?" that comes with considerably more certainty — as you'll see in our NBA picks and predictions.

What if the home Denver Nuggets, led by the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, were losers of three straight ahead of a Sunday afternoon meeting with these ghostship Nets? That "what if", much like the impending breakup of Brooklyn's ill-fated trio, will be solved in short order.

Nets vs Nuggets odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The Nuggets opened at -4.5 on Saturday night and by the morning, had moved to -5.5 or-6, depending on the book. The total went up at 230.5 but was bet down to 229.5 almost across the board. 

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Nets vs Nuggets predictions

• Prediction: Nuggets -4.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Over 229.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Jokic Over 46.5 points +rebounds + assists (-125)

Predictions made on 2/5/2022 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Nets vs Nuggets game info

• Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• Date: Sunday, February 6, 2022
• Tip-off: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ALT, YES

Nets vs Nuggets betting preview

Key injuries

Nets: Kevin Durant SF (Out), James Harden SG (Questionable), Nic Claxton C (Questionable), Joe Harris SG (Out), LaMarcus Aldridge C (Out), Paul Millsap PF (Out).
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon PF (Questionable), Jamal Murray PG (Out), Michael Porter Jr. (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Nets are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Nuggets.

Nets vs Nuggets picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

In case you took a couple of weeks off from NBA coverage, let me provide a quick refresher: the Nets are coming undone.

They've lost seven straight games. Kevin Durant remains out with a knee injury. James Harden may-or-may-not want out and is the subject of trade talks between Brooklyn and Philadelphia while nursing a sore hamstring that is potentially related to his desire to leave. Joe Harris needed a second surgery and could be done for the year. LaMarcus Aldridge will miss the rest of this road trip. And Kyrie Irving, somehow the remaining star the Nets have to count on (at least on the road), was a team-worst -29 in Brooklyn's loss to Utah on Friday, putting up 15 points on 20 shots. Ouch.   

Since Durant went down in mid-January, the Nets are 27th in net rating, ahead of just the Pistons, Rockets, and Kings, who they just lost to by 11 points on Wednesday. It's all bad. Really, really bad. 

It's quite nice of Brooklyn, then, to not only give the Nuggets some perspective on how bad things can be, but also a perfect get-right spot. Denver has lost three in a row coming into this one, losing on the road to the Wolves and Jazz and then at home to the Pelicans. That, however, is simply a product of the long NBA season, with the first two losses coming on a back-to-back while Nikola Jokic nursed a sore toe in the second game. Bad losses and tough scheduling spots happen but the Nuggets have plenty of credit in the bank to count on them to rebound. 

The Nets just lost to the Nuggets by six points at the end of January and things have gotten worse for Brooklyn since then. Until the Nets prove otherwise, they must be faded. 

Prediction: Nuggets -4.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

As mentioned, Brooklyn's net rating since losing Durant is downright hideous. It is, however, sunk considerably by an awful defensive rating. The offense hasn't yet come apart, even with Harden nursing a hamstring injury. The Nets are 2-8 in their 10 most recent games without KD but still sit a respectable 12th in offensive rating and have averaged 110.2 points per game.

Chances are Irving, an efficient scorer throughout his career, will rebound from such an awful game against the Jazz. Harden could return but in his place on Friday rookie Cam Thomas, a microwave scorer, exploded for 30, and his ability to get buckets was never in doubt entering the NBA. We'll happily fade Brooklyn, but its ability to create offense should still be acknowledged. 

It's offense the Nets will need because they'll be facing a high-scoring team in Denver on Sunday. The Nuggets are 12th in offensive rating, adjusted for opponent, and were cruising prior to this three-game losing skid. Before that, Denver had won five in a row while averaging 118.6 points per game. Jokic, the NBA's premier offensive player, will absolutely dice Brooklyn apart as a facilitator and scorer. 

These two teams easily cleared a 218.5 total at the end of last month, playing to a total of 242. Count on another Over here. 

Prediction: Over 229.5 (-110)

Best bet

I'd like to cite Markieff Morris, who remains out with whiplash after taking a blindside check from the MVP, as exhibit A, when I say Jokic is an emotional and fiery player. Just like his absurd talent on offense, Jokic's intensity is sometimes forgotten because of his appearance, which his old pal Morris described as "a sloppy fat boy."

Make no mistake, though. Jokic is as fiery as anyone and he'll be all the way locked in for Sunday's afternoon game between the Nets and Nuggets. He will be locked in after a losing streak that's seen him battle against Karl-Anthony Towns, a divisional foe he has had a simmering rivalry with for years, and Jonas Valanciunas, who is a physical monster in his own right. 

Jokic is having another masterful all-around year, averaging 48 points + rebounds + assists per game, but he could post a stat line that's ridiculous even for his standards on Sunday. 

With Aldridge injured, Brooklyn pretty much has no big body to throw at Jokic. Nic Claxton, who isn't exactly a big body but is at least a center, played just five minutes Friday before exiting with a hamstring injury. James Johnson is a small-ball five, so too is rookie Kessler Edwards. Blake Griffin's really struggled since being dusted off over this stretch and couldn't stay on the floor in the first meeting between these two teams.

Jokic is in complete control anytime he steps on the court but against this Brooklyn team, he'll be free to do whatever he wants. 

Pick: Nikola Jokic Over 46.5 points + rebounds + assists (-125)

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