Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets (25-13) are set to host the surprising Cleveland Cavaliers (25-14) at 9 p.m. ET on Friday at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo.. Denver is 15-3 at home, while Cleveland is 7-10 on the road. The Nuggets are coming off a blowout 122-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Cavs are riding a three game winning streak after beating the Phoenix Suns 90-88 on Wednesday. Cleveland could be without its top two scorers on Friday with Donovan Mitchell (rest) out and Darius Garland (thumb) listed as questionable.
Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET. Denver is favored by 6 points in the latest Nuggets vs. Cavaliers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 222. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Nuggets picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 38-13 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning almost $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nuggets vs. Cavaliers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Nuggets vs. Cavaliers:
- Nuggets vs. Cavaliers spread: Nuggets -6
- Nuggets vs. Cavaliers over/under: 222 points
- Nuggets vs. Cavaliers money line: Denver -250, Cleveland 205
- Nuggets vs. Cavaliers picks: See picks here
What you need to know about the Nuggets
The Nuggets couldn't have asked for a better start to 2023 than the 122-91 stomping they dished out against the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Thursday. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 66-32. Point guard Jamal Murray (18 points) and point guard Nah'Shon 'Bones' Hyland (16 points) were the top scorers for Denver.
Given the blowout nature of Denver's win over the Clippers, center Nikola Jokic got what nearly amounted to a night of rest. The two-time reigning NBA MVP played only 24 minutes, scoring 12 points, to go with nine assists, and six rebounds. For the season, Jokic is averaging 25.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game, and is once again one of the top MVP candidates in the league.
What you need to know about the Cavaliers
Meanwhile, Cleveland skirted by the Phoenix Suns 90-88 on Wednesday thanks to a clutch jumper from power forward Evan Mobley with 0:04 left to play. Cleveland can attribute much of their success to small forward Caris LeVert, who shot 5-for-7 from downtown and finished with 21 points and six rebounds.
The Nuggets are extremely tough to beat at Ball Arena, and the Cavs are opting to rest All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 29.0 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game in his first season in Cleveland. The Cavs may also be without rising star Darius Garland (21.4 points, 7.8 assists per game), who is nursing a thumb injury. Cleveland will need big performances out of its front court duo of Evan Mobley (14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds per game) and Jarrett Allen (13.6 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) to have a shot at pulling off the road upset on Friday night.
How to make Nuggets vs. Cavaliers picks
The model has simulated Nuggets vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavs vs. Nuggets? And which side of the spread hits in almost 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nuggets vs. Cavs spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
