The Denver Nuggets (20-18) and Los Angeles Clippers (20-21) prepare to go head-to-head in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. PST.
The Nuggets place sixth in the West and have won two consecutive games leading into Tuesday’s action.
The Clippers are currently the ninth seed in the West but did defeat the Hawks by a final score of 106-93 in their last game.
These two-injury plagued Western Conference teams will look to escape with a victory on Tuesday. Let’s take a look at this matchup.
Nuggets at Clippers Betting Preview
Denver Nuggets Preview: Depth is the Key
Denver narrowly escaped with a 99-95 win on Sunday against the Thunder. Nikola Jokic and Austin Rivers led the charge with 22 points each. But Jokic posted one of the more impressive double-doubles of the season with 18 rebounds to go along with the 22 points.
Jeff Green added 16 points, and Will Barton contributed 14 in the win.
One of the main concerns for the Nuggets was how they would perform with Jamaal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out with injury. Many thought it might become a one-man show with Nikola Jokic. However, the depth has shined in recent games with players such as Barton, Rivers, and Green stepping up behind Jokic.
And depth is the key moving forward.
Jokic has developed into an impressive playmaking big man. He is averaging seven assists on the season to go along with his 25.8 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. If the Nuggets can continue to have other players score and produce at a high level, Denver could realistically remain in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race this season.
Los Angeles Clippers Preview: A Complete Team Effort
The Clippers played a quality game on Sunday en route to a win over the Atlanta Hawks. Los Angeles utilized a complete team effort to defeat Atlanta in the game.
The Clippers had seven different players reach double figures in points. Amir Coffey led the scoring outburst with 21 points. Ivica Zubac grabbed 13 rebounds while adding 8 points.
Obviously, winning is going to be difficult for Los Angeles without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. But this team may be good enough to hang around in the playoff race until George is able to return. Kawhi Leonard is also reportedly ahead of schedule, and he could make an appearance this season.
If Los Angeles can continue to tread water, this is a team that could possibly make a deep postseason run if Leonard and George return.
But for now, they will need to lean on the entire team to edge out victories.
Who to Bet on Nuggets at Clippers
This could end up being a very exciting game. Between the Clippers’ gritty style of play and Denver’s ability to rally around Nikola Jokic, this is a game that may not be decided until late in the fourth quarter. In fact, I would not be surprised to see this contest end in overtime.
The majority of top sportsbooks favor the Nuggets by a slim margin. However, I am rolling with the Clippers to upset those odds at home.
Take the Los Angeles Clippers with your NBA betting selection.
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