The Denver Nuggets (29-15) and Washington Wizards (10-32) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The game will broadcast live on ALT.
The Nuggets are 5.5-point favorites over the Wizards on the spread (Nuggets -5.5), with the over/under set at 230.5 total points. Denver is a -225 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Washington is +185 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Nuggets vs. Wizards predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, January 22.
Nuggets vs Wizards Prediction, Picks
- Nuggets vs Wizards pick: Peyton Watson Over 17.5 Points (-137)
My Wizards vs Nuggets best bet is on Peyton Watson over17.5 points, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Nuggets vs Wizards Odds
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 230.5 -105o / -115u | -225 |
| Wizards Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 230.5 -105o / -115u | +185 |
Nuggets vs Wizards NBA Preview
I'm backing Peyton Watson over 17.5 points in this game. You're going to see 18.5 probably because, well, Denver is playing the Wizards.
There is a need to monitor injury updates for both teams, particularly the Nuggets, who won't have Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun, and then will have to see if Jamal Murray, Jonas Valanciunas or Tim Hardaway Jr. are available.
Watson just had 21 points against his team. He has gone over 17.5 points in 11 of the last 12 games and over 18.5 in 9 of 12 contests if the line moves. So he's been getting it done lately.
Aaron Gordon being back in the lineup would be good news for Watson, who is actually over 17.5 in eight straight games with him in the lineup, and also in six of eight contests. If you're taking over 18.5, just to outline those two things.
Watson has looked really, really good as of late. Seeing him in college in his early years, I didn't think this type of scoring was in there, which is something Denver will have to address after the season regarding a possible extension for Watson, and in terms of maneuvering around that and trimming salary.
Do they move Cam Johnson already? What are the things to do in order to keep Peyton Watson? Because I think he's a guy you have to try to keep at this point, and it's not going to be the easiest thing in the world, but Peyton Watson's shown some real progress, some real offense, and is making a legitimate jump right now.
Nuggets vs Wizards Prediction, Betting Analysis
This is a soft matchup defensively, and a great one for Watson offensively in the 12 games that I'm talking about, where he's averaging 36 minutes per game during that stretch.
Again, a bunch of that is with Aaron Gordon back in the lineup; he's averaging 22 points a game.
I like him here a lot in this spot, he just needs to finish baskets.
He could come out cold, but it's the Wizards, the second-worst defense in the NBA, so he should be able to create some good looks and get some set up for him as well.
Pick: Peyton Watson Over 17.5 Points (-137, DraftKings)
Wizards vs Nuggets Betting Trends
