The Denver Nuggets (42-20) will try to bounce back from their overtime loss to Phoenix when they host the Boston Celtics (48-13) on Thursday night. Denver won six consecutive games prior to its 117-107 loss to the Suns on Tuesday. The Nuggets are in third place in the Western Conference, sitting one game behind Minnesota and Oklahoma City. Boston had its 11-game winning streak snapped in a 105-104 loss to Cleveland earlier this week, but it still has the best record in the NBA.
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets are favored by 1 point in the latest Nuggets vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 221 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Nuggets picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the 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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 20 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 64-40 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Boston vs. Denver. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Nuggets:
- Nuggets vs. Celtics spread: Nuggets -1
- Nuggets vs. Celtics over/under: 221 points
- Nuggets vs. Celtics money line: Nuggets: -113, Celtics: -106
- Nuggets vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Nuggets can cover
Denver had won six consecutive games prior to its loss to Phoenix in overtime on Tuesday, where the Nuggets rallied from 22 points down to force overtime before coming up short. They handed Boston their first home loss of the season in January, as Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic combined to score 69 points. Denver won its first six games following the All-Star break, including road wins against the Warriors and Lakers.
The Nuggets are one game behind Minnesota and Oklahoma City in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Jokic leads the team with 25.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game, while Murray is adding 20.8 points and 6.5 assists. Denver is 24-6 at home this season, while 10 of Boston's 13 losses have come on the road. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has established itself as the top team in the NBA so far this season, and it has a chance to make another statement with a win on Thursday night. The Celtics won 11 consecutive games prior to their 105-104 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday, but they led by as many as 22 points in that contest. Power forward Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 13 rebounds, while center Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points and nine rebounds.
Tatum is averaging a team-high 27.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while Jaylen Brown (22.4) and Porzingis (20.4) are both scoring more than 20 points per game. The Celtics have won six of the last eight meetings between these teams, and they have covered the spread in six of the last nine matchups. They are also 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games this season. Brown (pelvis) is listed as questionable for Thursday. See which team to pick here.
How to make Nuggets vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Nuggets 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nuggets vs. Celtics, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Nuggets spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 64-40 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
