The Denver Nuggets have climbed up to sixth place in the Western Conference, which is no small feat considering all of the injuries they have had to deal with this season.
Denver’s rise up the standings is of course fueled by Nikola Jokic, who is repeating his MVP performance from a season ago. The Nuggets will try to continue their climb when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. Can they win for the sixth time in eight games and cover the 3-point chalk?
Find out in our free NBA betting picks and predictions for Nuggets vs. Clippers on January 11.
Nuggets vs Clippers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Clippers opened this matchup as 2.5-point home underdogs but the Nuggets have seen the early money, moving the line to 3.5. The total has seen little movement so far, opening at 213 and bumping up slightly to 213.5.
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
- Prediction: Nuggets -3 (-110)
- Prediction: Under 213.5 (-110)
- Best bet: Aaron Gordon Over 4.5 rebounds (-135)
Predictions made on 1/11/2022 at 4:00 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: Tuesday, January 11, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA TV
Nuggets vs Clippers betting preview
Injuries
Nuggets: Will Barton SG (Out).
Clippers: Luke Kennard SG (Out), Paul George SF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Clippers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 home games. 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
The Nuggets enter this game as winners of five of their last seven, which includes a 103-100 win against the Clippers in this same building back on Dec. 26. The recent success has come off the back of the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets' big man has been on an absolute tear over the last month. Since Dec. 8 (15 games) Joker has been averaging 26.2 points on 54.3 percent shooting from the floor while adding 15 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
Meanwhile, the Clippers halted a three-game losing streak with a 106-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, but they’ll have their hands full with Jokic. Los Angeles ranks 28th in the NBA in opponent points in the paint and 27th in rebounding percentage and allowed Jokic to go off for 26 points while hauling down 22 boards in that late December meeting.
The Clippers are obviously still trying to get used to life without Paul George and while the All-Star forward’s scoring has been missed, it’s his impact on the defensive end which has really been missed. The Clippers rank fourth in defensive rating overall but 16th during George’s latest stint on the injury list.
While scoring has been a struggle all season for the Clippers, we like the Nuggets as slight road favorites in this matchup as Joker should get the last laugh.
Prediction: Nuggets -3 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
When it comes to the total this one is the lowest on the board for Tuesday but it still might not be low enough.
As mentioned, the Clippers' offense was struggling with George. Without him? Yuck. Los Angeles ranks 27th in offensive rating during the latest nine games PG-13 has missed, scoring just 103.8 points per game. While the Nuggets' defense isn’t anything to write home about, it has been a little better over this 5-2 stretch.
Even though the Clippers' defense hasn’t been as strong without George, they are still well-coached and allow just 105.6 points per game while ranking eighth in opponent field goal percentage. When you also consider the Nuggets play at one of the slowest paces in the NBA, the Under looks like the play here.
Prediction: Under 213.5 (-110)
Best bet
As mentioned, the Clippers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, ranking 27th in rebounding percentage and opponent rebounds per game. While Jokic pulled down 22 boards against them in their last meeting, his rebounds total of 13.5 is enough to make us pause.
There is an opportunity for another Nuggets player to make his impact felt on the boards, though – Aaron Gordon. The power forward is the Denver Nuggets’ second-best rebounder and averages 5.5 rebounds per game this season. He has done a solid job of cleaning up the glass since missing three games with a non-COVID illness, hauling down six or more boards three times in the five games since his return.
His rebounding total of 4.5 looks a touch too low for this matchup.
Pick: Aaron Gordon Over 4.5 rebounds (-135)
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