The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Friday with a 20-9 record this season. They will face the Denver Nuggets on December 29th, 2023 at 10:10 PM ET/7:10 PM PT. The Nuggets, who are very tough to beat at home, are favored in the game but only at -3.5 (bet365). These two teams met in a game from Denver not that long ago and it was a classic. NBA fans will be looking for more of that between these two strong teams in the Western Conference. My Thunder vs Nuggets prediction is that the Thunder will win, at least with the help of +3.5 as a handicap.
NBA Game Preview at a Glance
Away: Oklahoma City Thunder
Home: Denver Nuggets
Game time: Friday, December 29th, 2023 @ 10:10 PM ET
Thunder vs Nuggets odds (home team’s spread): -3.5 (bet365)
Oklahoma City vs Denver Prediction: Latest NBA Headlines
OKC last played on Wednesday, a game where they defeated the New York Knicks 129-120. It was the second straight win for the Thunder in as many nights. On Tuesday of this week, OKC defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-106. The only game that the Thunder have lost recently was against the LA Lakers. On that occasion, the team was without regular starter Josh Giddey for the only time this season.
The Thunder have improved from 11-6 heading into December to where they are now at 20-9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the team’s top performer as he frequently ranks as the team-high scorer.
Oklahoma City Thunder injuries: recent news
The Thunder look great in their depth chart heading into this game. Jaylin Williams, who is not to be confused with Jalen Williams, is questionable for the game. He, Jaylin, is a player deep on the bench who usually only logs single digits for minutes. Otherwise, the OKC Thunder don’t have anything noted in their ESPN depth chart. Updates are pending but since they didn’t play on Thursday, OKC looks like they will be healthy on Friday.
Double-check for playing status updates with Oklahoma City (00:41 ET time of writing):: Team’s Depth Chart
The Denver Nuggets are 9-1 in their last ten games. The only loss is due to an SGA jumper near the buzzer back on December 16th, a jumper that gave the Thunder a 118-117 victory. If that jumper clanged, then Denver would have a clean 10-0 record in their last ten games.
During the current 9-1 streak, Denver has had a soft schedule. However, they did beat Dallas by 26 points. Furthermore, they beat Memphis on Thursday night 142-105. Ja Morant missed the game for the Grizzlies but a 37-point spread is a difficult spread to post against any team in the NBA.
Denver Nuggets injuries: recent news
That spread should help keep Denver fresh for Friday. They are in a back-to-back situation but Denver rested their starters on Thursday, a luxury the big spread allowed them to have. Nikola Jokic played only 30 minutes in the game and the other Denver starters were much fewer for minutes played.
Heading into Friday, Aaron Gordon remains out. It’s not clear how long he will need to recover from the stitches that were required from a recent dog attack. OKC is not bad in the post so he is a player that Denver might miss in this game. Peyton Watson started on Thursday night in the game against Memphis in place of Gordon.
Double-check status updates Denver (00:41 ET time of writing):: Team’s Depth Chart
Thunder vs Nuggets Prediction: Betting Tips
+3.5 looks a tad too big on the Thunder in this game (bet365). In a game between two strong teams, you are just looking for any sign of strength or weakness to tip the balance. Gordon played 33 minutes in the previous game against OKC and he was a scoring contributor with 16 points. OKC still managed to win that game so it stands to reason that they should be backed with +3.5 on Friday.
But expect Jokic to be huge. With Gordon out and with a light workload on Thursday, Jokic is poised for a big night on Friday. I think he will try to carry the Nuggets in what will be a tough game for them. Fantasy players making their daily lineups should have him as one of their high-budget stars. As for player props, betting lines weren’t available at the time of writing. However, you can use this projection: Jokic plays 39 minutes, scores 29, grabs 10 rebounds, and has 9 assists in the game.
Additional reading: Look ahead to NFL Week 17!
