The Utah Jazz’s win streak may have been broken in a loss against Portland, but they’re still surging up the standings. Tonight Utah will look to start another win streak, but it won’t come easy. The 2nd best team in the West, the Denver Nuggets, is in town, and it’s not going to be an easy victory. Denver (31-14) is the last team that will feel any remorse for beating up on an injury depleted team like Utah as Denver has had to face injuries to most of their roster and has still overcome them. Nikola Jokic will play a big role tonight for the Denver Nuggets. He’s a modern NBA big man who can pull Rudy Gobert away from the basket. He’s a point guard in a Sabonis frame and he’ll keep the Utah defense on its toes as he’s a threat to make the assist and shot at any time. He’s averaging 19.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists a game. He’s a walking triple double and might as well be kryptonite for Utah as his strengths on offense negate Gobert’s strengths of defense. If Gobert is Contra’s hardest level, Jokic is the game genie. The good news is Utah is playing a lot better since the last time these two teams have met. The Jazz have adapted to the way game is being officiated with freedom of movement and Gobert has become a way better perimeter defender in the process. He’s evolving and becoming a better offensive player, too. Donovan Mitchell who was struggling has found new life at the point guard position. That new life might be disrupted as Ricky Rubio could be inserted back into the starting lineup. It feels weird to assume that Utah’s momentum might be stalled because of their team becoming healthy again, but Donovan’s resurgence and Royce O’Neale’s turnaround have coincided with the depleted guard corps. One thing working in Denver’s favor tonight is the time off between games. The Jazz last played on Monday against the Trail Blazers. The Nuggets? Last Saturday. Game Info When: Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 • 8:30 PM MT Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena • Salt Lake City, UT TV: AT&T Sports Net-Rocky Mountain, ESPN Radio: 97.5 FM | 1280 AM The Zone | ESPN Radio Injuries: Utah Jazz: Ricky Rubio – Right Hamstring – Available Dante Exum – Left Ankle Sprain – OUT Raul Neto – Groin – OUT Thabo Sefolosha – Right Hamstring – OUT Tony Bradley – Right Knee Surgery – OUT Portland Trail Blazers: Juan Hernangomez — Abdominal — Questionable Michael Porter — Back — OUT Isaiah Thomas — Hip — OUT Jarred Vanderbilt — Foot — OUT What to watch for Can Joe Ingles bounce back? Joe Ingles struggled against the Trail Blazers, going 1 for 7 from the field and 0-3 from deep. Part of the reason Utah struggled in that game was the lack of swag from Aussie with a mouth. Tonight, Joe Ingles may be able to take advantage of Denver being without Juan Hernangomez as he’s questionable for tonight’s game. If Utah can get their customary 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists from Jingles tonight, they’ll be in good shape. Jokic vs Gobert This will determine tonight’s outcome. It’s not just about Jokic’s shooting numbers tonight. If Jokic shoots poorly from the field but ends up with 11 rebounds and 8 assists, Utah’s toast. That means Rudy Gobert is going to have to be on his game, but Utah’s team defense has to be on a string. Can Utah force Denver to turnover the playmaking abilities to their secondary or tertiary option? If so, Utah wins this.<doc-sep>Salt Lake City, UT – The Denver Nuggets will look to keep their Northwest Division record unblemished tonight as they take on the Utah Jazz on the road. The Nuggets have struggled in Salt Lake City recently, losing their last seven road games against the Jazz, last winning in 2014. The Nuggets come in to tonight’s game with a 31-14 record and are in second place in the Western Conference. Denver has won 10 of their last 13 games. After playing 11 games in 19 days, the Nuggets haven’t played since Saturday, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22. The Jazz had been on a six-game winning streak before dropping a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Utah has won 8 of their last 10 games to improve their record to 26-22 and moving into the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Nuggets and Jazz last met in Denver on November 3rd, with the Nuggets winning 103-88. Gary Harris led the Nuggets with 20 points in 32 minutes. The Jazz were led by Jae Crowder with 21 points off the bench. Here is what to watch for tonight: Stopping Donovan Mitchell: The Utah guard has been on a tear of late, averaging 28.6 points over his last 10 games. Mitchell is making 2.2 threes per game this season but is shooting just 32 percent from deep. In Monday’s loss, Mitchell scored 36 points on 12-28 shooting while hauling in seven rebounds and five assists. Mitchell has scored 24 or more in his last nine outings. Overcoming the crowd noise: The fans in Salt Lake City are one of the most raucous groups in the league, causing opposing teams difficulties. The Jazz are 13-9 at home this season while the Nuggets are 11-10 on the road. The Nuggets have had success in tough opposing arenas this season, finding ways to overcome the crowd noise in Toronto, Oklahoma City and Portland. Offensive firepower: The Nuggets have scored 100 or more in 15 of their last 16 games. However, the Nuggets haven’t hit the century mark in Utah since 2014. Denver’s last trip to Utah was in November 2017, a game in which they scored a 2017-18 season-low 77 points. The Nuggets scored 124 points on Saturday against the Cavs and dropped 135 on the Bulls just two days before that. Tonight’s game will tip at 8:30 p.m. MT and will air on Altitude TV, the AltitudeNOW app and ESPN. Fans can listen on Altitude Radio, 92.5 FM.<doc-sep>Betting Odds: Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz Spread: Jazz -4 Over/Under: 216 Time: 10:30 p.m. ET TV Channel: ESPN >> All odds as of 3 p.m. ET. Download The Action Network App to get real-time NBA odds and track your bets The 31-14 Denver Nuggets will travel to Utah to face the 26-22 Jazz. Where’s the value in tonight’s line? Our analysts dive in. Betting Trends to Know The Nuggets are coming off a four-game homestand and now travel to Utah to face the Jazz on four days of rest leading up to tip-off Wednesday night. Nuggets coach Mike Malone in his days with Denver and Sacramento has coached six road games on at least four days of rest. His teams are 0-6 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS), failing to cover by 15.8 points per game. — Evan Abrams Evan is right: Malone’s teams have struggled on the road after a long layoff, but historically this is a great spot to wager on a team. Well-rested road teams late in the season (January-April) have been undervalued, with a $100 bettor returning a profit of $3,019 wagering on them. — John Ewing Moore: Why Is the Public on Utah? This line freaks me out. How is the No. 2 team in the West — a team that is undefeated in division play — a 3-point dog to open, then the line moves up on Utah? I’m grabbing Denver, because it’s the Nuggets as underdogs and I like the matchup for several reasons, but, boy howdy, does this line make me want to cower in the fetal position. — Matt Moore Mears: The Jazz Struggle at the End of Games In terms of point differential, these teams are pretty close: Denver: +4.9 +4.9 Utah: +4.6 In terms of record, however, it’s not that close at all: Denver: 31-14 31-14 Utah: 26-22 Part of that might be schedule — the Jazz have played the third-toughest schedule so far — but I think most of it comes down to second-half play. Take a look at these teams’ Net Rating by quarter: 1st: Denver +8.9, Utah +5.2 Denver +8.9, Utah +5.2 2nd: Denver +3.8, Utah +6.7 Denver +3.8, Utah +6.7 3rd: Denver +2.5, Utah +1.6 Denver +2.5, Utah +1.6 4th: Denver +5.0, Utah -1.6 As a result, the Jazz have underperformed their point differential this season by a whopping 5.0 wins — easily the highest mark in the league. A normal team with their mark would be expected to be at 31 wins by now. The Jazz clearly drop off in the second half. Interestingly, in losses, the Jazz own the worst second-half point differential in the league, getting outscored by 17.3 points per 100 possessions. When things get away from them, they really get away from them. Thus, I think the best value in this game might be to bet the Nuggets in the second half or fourth quarter, especially if the game is close or the Jazz are slightly up and you can get a good number on Denver. — Bryan Mears Editor’s note: The opinions on this game are from the individual writers and are based on their research, analysis and perspective. They are independent of, and may not always match with, the algorithm-driven Best Bets from Sports Insights.<doc-sep>Denver will play Utah on the road at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night Denver Nuggets (31-14, second in the Western Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (26-22, seventh in the Western Conference) Salt Lake City; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Mountain BOTTOM LINE: The Jazz are 14-13 in conference games. Utah is 24-12 in games when they score more than 100 points. The Nuggets are 6-0 against opponents from the Northwest Division. Denver is second in the Western Conference with 12.4 offensive rebounds per game, led by Nikola Jokic averaging 2.8. In their last meeting on Nov. 3, the Nuggets won 103-88. Gary Harris led Denver with 20 points. TOP PERFORMERS: Donovan Mitchell has averaged 22.0 points and 3.7 rebounds for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert has scored 14.4 points and added 15.6 rebounds while shooting 63.7 percent over the last 10 games for Utah. Jokic is averaging 19.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray has averaged 20.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 44.2 percent over the last 10 games for Denver. LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 115.6 points, 45.8 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 5.8 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.1 points on 48.0 percent shooting. Jazz: 8-2, averaging 110.6 points, 49.5 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 6.9 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting. Jazz Injuries: Raul Neto: out (left groin strain), Dante Exum: out (ankle), Thabo Sefolosha: out (hamstring).<doc-sep>
Nuggets vs. Jazz Spread Prediction The Jazz had their six-game winning streak snapped by the Trail Blazers on Monday night, but will they rebound tonight when they host the Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. ET? The home team in this series has had great ATS success. Game Snapshot 555 Denver Nuggets at 556 Utah Jazz 10:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2019 Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Our NBA Live Odds page pulls spreads and totals from multiple different online sportsbooks so you can compare betting odds to ensure you’re getting the best line. Public Betting Trends According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook BetNow.eu, the Jazz are 3.5-point favorites to beat the Nuggets. The total, meanwhile, sits at 216.5 points and as of this writing, 56% of the public betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Jazz to cover the point spread. Denver Nuggets Fantasy Spin Nikola Jokic posted his sixth triple-double of the season Saturday vs. the Cavaliers, tallying 19 points (8-of-12 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), 12 assists, 11 rebounds, one steal and three 3-pointers in 28 minutes. Jokic (22 career triple-doubles) is now second on the NBA's all-time list for triple-doubles by a 7-footer, passing the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He's got a long way to go before he catches Wilt Chamberlain at 78, but the 7-footer has at the very least established himself as one of the top centers in the NBA. Over the last five games Jokic is averaging 23.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.6 assists per with 53.8/38.1/85.2 shooting splits. Utah Jazz Fantasy Spin Rudy Gobert grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds Monday vs. the Trail Blazers, and he also accounted for ten points (4-of-10 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), four blocked shots and three assists in 33 minutes. The night got off to a strange start for Gobert, as he was late the court and ultimately did not start the game. The center had a difficult time dealing with Portland’s Jusuf Nurkic, but he still managed to put up his 39th double-double of the season. Over his last five games the 7-footer is averaging 17.0 points, 18.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.8 blocks per while shooting 66.7% from the field and 73.5% from the foul line. Due to that production Gobert has been a top-15 player in 9-category leagues over the last two weeks. NBA Betting Trends Denver The Nuggets are 12-3-1 against the spread in their last 16 games versus Northwest opponents. Utah The Jazz are winless at 0-3-1 against the spread in their last four home games. Prediction The home team is a perfect 9-0 against the spread in the last nine meetings between these two teams. The favorite is also 14-2 against the number in the last 16 meetings between these two teams while the Nuggets are winless at the betting window in their last four games in Utah. The Jazz, meanwhile, have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 games coming off a loss (with one push) and are 12-4-2 at the betting window in their last 18 games playing on one day of rest. Wednesday NBA Prediction: Utah Jazz -3.5