The Denver Nuggets (37-24) and Utah Jazz (18-43) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will broadcast live on KJZZ.
The Nuggets are 11.5-point favorites over the Jazz on the spread (Nuggets -11.5), with the over/under set at 243.5 total points. Denver is a -550 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Utah is +410 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Nuggets vs. Jazz predictions and NBA picks for Monday, March 2.
Nuggets vs Jazz Prediction, Picks
- Nuggets vs Jazz pick: Nuggets Team Total Over 127.5 Points (-115)
My Jazz vs Nuggets best bet is on Denver to go over its team total. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Nuggets vs Jazz Odds
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -115 | 243.5 -108o / -112u | -550 |
| Jazz Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -105 | 243.5 -108o / -112u | +410 |
Nuggets vs Jazz NBA Preview
The Nuggets fell to the rival Timberwolves 117-108 in a Sunday afternoon nationally televised tilt. They fell to fifth in the West and would currently play the Timberwolves in the first round.
The Nuggets have been dealing with the injury bug still as they wait for Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson to return from hamstring injuries and both could be back in the next 10 days.
They have gotten Cam Johnson and Nikola Jokic back, but they are 5-8 in their last 13 games. Jokic has averaged 26.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists in that span and remains second in MVP odds behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Denver also fell to 16-12 at home yesterday, which is a surprise with how dominant they have been over the last few years at home.
The Nuggets may prefer being on the road for tonight's game and they will certainly enjoy facing the Jazz's defense.
The Jazz will remain at home after dropping a two-game set with the Pelicans. They have dropped their last five games and are getting closer to their mission, as they now have the fifth-worst record in the NBA and fifth-best odds to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Though they were likely unfazed by the league's $500,000 fine, they likely will not face anymore this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr.(knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (nose) are out for the season after undergoing season-ending surgeries.
All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen is out indefinitely with right hip impingement. The Jazz did get back Keyonte George back in the lineup on Saturday and he scored 17 points in 23 minutes on Saturday.
Compared to most NBA fans and media, I am not anti-tank by any means. However, I have not loved seeing the momentum George has had in his third season seemingly halted over the last month.
Jalen Duren is now the betting favorite to win Most Improved Player, but George certainly has had a strong case for much of this season.
He is averaging 23.6 points and 6.5 assists on 45/37/89 shooting splits, improving his efficiency both at the rim and as a jump shooter.
However, he has not played 30 minutes since January, playing in just two games since. He is currently sixth in Most Improved Players odds at +3000.
Nuggets vs Jazz Predictions, Betting Analysis
Nuggets Team Total Over 127.5 Points
The Nuggets have won seven consecutive meetings against the Jazz and have scored 120 points in six of those games.
In five of those games, they have scored 129 points or more, including 135 in the first meeting this season. They were a double-digit favorite in that game as they are tonight as well.
The Nuggets are traveling on the second night of a back-to-back for this one, but tonight's game offers a get right game after losing consecutive games to the Thunder and Timberwolves.
Denver leads the league in scoring while ranking second in offensive rating.
The Jazz are last in both defensive rating and points allowed per game, surrendering nearly three more points more than the next closest.
This should be the spot where the Nuggets cruise and I am backing their offense to lead the way.
Nikola Jokic Under 29.5 Points / 10+ Assists
Betting on over on a team total while taking the under on their MVP candidate seems counterintuitive.
However, in these games where the Nuggets are heavily favored, Jokic is usually not particularly aggressive and looks to get his teammates involved.
In the first meeting this season, Jokic scored just 14 points.
He has scored 30 points in just two of his last nine games against the Jazz, averaging 26.9 points per game in that span.
However, he has 11 assists in two of his last three games against the Jazz.
Jokic has had 10 assists in six of his last 10 games overall, matching his season average.
The Jazz are last in the league in assists allowed this season.
Jamal Murray 20+ Points
If Jokic is a bit more passive tonight, Jamal Murray is likely the leading scorer tonight.
Murray has scored 20 points in five straight games against the Jazz, including games of 37, 28, and 27 points.
He has also scored 20 points in eight of his last 10 games overall.
Kyle Filipowski 10+ Points
Kyle Filipowski has been the beneficiary of playing time after the team’s injuries in the frontcourt.
He scored 10 points in nine of 11 games in February while averaging 12.6 points per game.
In his lone career game playing over 30 minutes against Denver, he scored 18 points.
Nuggets vs Jazz Best Bet
- Nuggets Team Total Over 127.5 Points (-115)
Nuggets vs. Jazz Parlay Picks
- Nikola Jokic Under 29.5 Points
- Nikola Jokic 10+ Assists
- Jamal Murray 20+ Points
- Kyle Filipowski 10+ Points
Parlay Odds: +330 via DraftKings
