The Denver Nuggets will be hoping to avoid a three-game losing streak when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, December 26. The Nuggets have lost three of their last four coming into this one, and they’ll be hoping that having the last two days off will get them back on track.
Will Denver continue to struggle when the team heads to Crypto.com Arena? Find out in our Nuggets vs. Clippers picks and predictions.
Nuggets vs Clippers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Nuggets were laying 4.5 points when this meeting with the Clippers first hit the market, but Los Angeles is now getting as little as 3.5 on some books. The total, which opened at 211.5, is a bit all over the place, as you can find it as low as 210.5 and as high as 212.5.
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.
Nuggets vs Clippers predictions
Predictions made on 12/26/2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Nuggets vs Clippers game info
• Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• Date: Sunday, December 26, 2021
• Tip-off: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet 1
Nuggets vs Clippers betting preview
Injuries
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon F (Probable), Markus Howard G (Out), Michael Porter Jr. F (Out), PJ Dozier G (Out), Jamal Murray G (Out).
Clippers: Paul George F (Out), Marcus Morris F (Out), Isaiah Hartenstein C (Out), Luke Kennard G (Probable), Reggie Jackson G (Out), Kawhi Leonard F (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Clippers.
Nuggets vs Clippers 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
Denver is struggling coming into this meeting with Los Angeles, but this game appears to be the perfect medicine for Nikola Jokic & Co. Not only are the Clippers going to be without Paul George for the next couple of weeks, but the team is also down Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris here. That’s three of this team’s main sources of offensive production, leaving Kennard in a position where he’ll need to be more aggressive than he usually likes to be. That isn’t exactly a recipe for success, even against a Nuggets team that has struggled defensively in spurts.
Mike Malone’s team has had an up-and-down year because of all the absences the team has had throughout the rotation, but this will be one of the few games in which the talent surrounding Jokic won’t be worse than the opponent’s. Gordon, who is likely to play in tonight’s game, is going to be the second-best player on the floor in this one, and it wouldn’t be too crazy to say that Monte Morris is better than anybody the Clippers have at point guard right now.
Realistically, it feels like the Nuggets should be favored by a lot more in this one. The only chance Los Angeles really has of winning this game is if Brandon Boston Jr. goes crazy. The youngster has shown a lot of promise in his rookie year, but he doesn’t seem ready to leady a team to a win over another playoff team.
Prediction: Nuggets -3.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
This season, the Under is 11-2 when Los Angeles is coming off three no-covers in its previous four games, and the average total points scored in those contests was 203.5 points per game. The Under is also 19-13 in the 32 games the Clippers have played this season. This is a Los Angeles team that is fourth in the league in defensive rating on the year, and the Clippers are likely going to drop their pace of play significantly with George out. Without most of their talented scorers, Ty Lue has to know that his team isn’t going to be able to outscore opponents just by hitting shots. The Clippers need to slow things down and let their defense win them games.
It should also be noted that the Under is 13-5 in Denver’s last 18 games as a road favorite, and it’s also 35-14-2 in the Nuggets’ last 51 games against teams with winning records. Denver might have some legitimate shot makers, but this team isn’t quite as high-scoring as you’d think. And the Nuggets slow things down considerably in games with playoff-level intensity.
Prediction: Under 212.5 (-110)
Best bet
Not only are the Nuggets 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss, but they are also 5-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss. This is a team that generally bounces back from poor performances, and the Nuggets have to be licking their chops seeing who will be on the floor across from them in this one.
The Clippers, who are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine home games, are simply too depleted to be expected to win a game like this one. Not only should Denver cover this spread, but the team should do so with ease.
Pick: Nuggets -3.5 (-110)
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