The Denver Nuggets (19-18) travel to Oklahoma City to battle the Thunder (13-25) at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. EST.
The Nuggets are hanging around in the Western Conference despite enduring an injury-plagued campaign up to this point. Denver sits in seventh place entering Sunday and are 5-5 over their past ten games.
The Thunder are 4-6 over the course of their past ten games and are second to last in the Western Conference standings.
Let’s take a look at this Western Conference matchup.
Oklahoma City Thunder Preview: Flashes of Potential
The Thunder are coming off of a brutal 135-105 loss on Friday at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Luguentz Dort led OKC in scoring with 18 points, while Aaron Wiggins added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Oklahoma City is in the midst of developing a strong young core that has the potential to be solid in the future. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a budding star who is going to draw all-star consideration this season. Dort has flashed streaky scoring ability so far this year, and Josh Giddey is a rookie with an immensely high ceiling.
The Thunder certainly tend to struggle in the scoring department on most nights. But they are the fifth-ranked team in rebounds per game with 46.2. Additionally, they only turn the ball over 13.1 times per game which is good for 12th in the league.
So while this team is likely a couple of years away from contending, the potential is evident with this Thunder squad. But for now, they will keep trudging along and performing as well as they can this season.
Denver Nuggets Preview: Staying Competitive Despite the Circumstances
The Denver Nuggets continue to remain competitive despite still being without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Yes, much of that is a product of the elite play of Nikola Jokic. But even the Joker needs help from time to time.
While Jokic dropped 33 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists in Denver’s recent victory over the Kings, Jeff Green added 18 points off of the bench while JaMychal Green narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. This is a Denver unit with some surprising depth on the roster.
The Nuggets rank fifth in assists per game and eighth in field goal percentage. They are a pure two-point shooting team, as Denver is 21st in three-point percentage.
Denver should be able to take care of business on the road against the Thunder on Sunday, with Jokic leading the way.
Who to Bet on Nuggets at Thunder
The Nuggets have won four of their past six games and are trying to climb up the Western Conference standings. The Thunder could present a fairly difficult challenge for Denver at home on Sunday, but the Nuggets should be able to prevail on the road.
Take the Denver Nuggets -7.5 with your NBA betting selection.
