Denver Nuggets at Boston Celtics Betting Preview/Prop Pick

The Denver Nuggets have two wins in a row under their belt right now. A few nights ago, they took down the New York Knicks, and before that, it was the Brooklyn Nets. Tonight, the Nuggets head to Boston to face another Eastern Conference team. The Boston Celtics are preparing to host the Nuggets and send them on their way with a loss. So, who comes out on top?

The Boston Celtics have quite the string of victories under their belt as well. So far, they’ve pieced together six wins in a row and moved up to No.7 in the Eastern Conference. With Denver coming to town, Jayson Tatum will face off against Jokic and the Nuggets. Neither team is dealing with significant injuries, making this one a true test—time to see who’s the best pick.

Denver Nuggets: Jokic & Co. Ready for the Boston Celtics

The interior presence that Jokic brings to every game could be a problem for the Celtics. The Nuggets average 109.69 points per game this season, which is good for 14th in the NBA. Their field-goal percentage ranks third in the NBA at 47.3%. This high field-goal percentage could be accredited to Jokic and his ability in the paint. This is something the Celtics will have to shut down early. 

If Boston cannot put a big body on Jokic, he could once again dominate the paint today. On defense, the Nuggets have to avoid being stretched out. Boston knows how to get their shooters open, and Jayson Tatum is one of them. Jeff Green will be tasked with guarding Jayson Tatum, which is quite the mismatch. They might decide to put Aaron Gordon against Tatum instead. 

Boston Celtics: Shutting Down Jokic is Their No.1 priority

When any team takes on the Denver Nuggets, they know they need to stop Jokic. He’s the team leader in nearly all the main categories. For example, Jokic leads the team in points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, and steals per game. He also has the highest field-goal percentage on the team at 57.% and averages the most blocks. He carries the Nuggets.

Since the Celtics know this, they can use this to their advantage. If they can find a way to slow down his production, the Nuggets will be stalled out. With Jokic out of the picture, the Celtics can do what they do best, create mid-range shots. They aren’t great at shooting from beyond the arc, just 34% from the three-point line this season. If they want to win, they’ll need to do better.

Our Pick for the Denver Nuggets at Boston Celtics

The Denver Nuggets are on the road, which hasn’t gone too well for them this season. They have a 15-14 record when traveling and a 13-16 ATS road record. Their ATS record is pretty ugly as well, 24-30 throughout the season. The Nuggets come in as 5.5-point underdogs, but we still don’t think that’ll be enough.

The Celtics have the fourth-best defense in the NBA, allowing only 103.77 points per game. This defense will be put to good use against the Nuggets tonight. Expect Jayson Tatum to have a strong game against whoever he’s matched up against. You can also expect Nikola Jokic to receive a lot of attention tonight. 

DUNKELINDEX Free Pick: Boston Celtics -5.5, OVER

Prop Pick

Boston (-110) OVER 111.5 Points

The Celtics are averaging 115.8 points per game on offense over their last five games. Boston is averaging 121.0 points per game on offense over their last three home games. Scores have gone OVER in 13 of Boston’s last 19 home games versus teams with a winning road record (Denver is 15-14 on the road).

With Dunkel predicting a Boston win by the score of 122-99, take the Celtics (-110) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 111.5 points against the Nuggets.

Look here to see all of our expert picks.