The Los Angeles Clippers (22-24) and Denver Nuggets (32-16) are set to meet for the second time this season at Ball Arena on Friday night (9:00 p.m. ET).
The Nuggets have shown great resolve without star C Nikola Jokic, going 9-5 in his absence, including 7-3 over their last 10 games. The Clippers, following a disastrous start to the season, are perhaps the NBA’s hottest team in recent weeks, going 9-1 in their last 10.
Below, we’ll break down our Clippers vs. Nuggets prediction and Friday NBA picks for PrizePicks. Use PrizePicks NBA to make picks on player projections and win real money if you’re right.
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Clippers vs. Nuggets Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
After going 50-32 last year and looking like one of the best teams in the Western Conference, nobody expected the 6-21 start this year's Clippers got off to. Since that low point, however, they have gone an NBA-best 16-3.
The story of this Nuggets season has been injuries. The most notable loss has been that of Jokic, who has missed the last 14 games with a knee injury. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Jokic "plans to return" for this outing. Three starters in SF Cam Johnson (knee), SG Christian Braun (ankle), and PF Aaron Gordon (hamstring) are out, via ESPN.
Denver has shown incredible competitiveness, led by their lone remaining starter, PG Jamal Murray. He's taken his game to another level as he seeks what would be the first All-Star appearance of his career.
Clippers vs. Nuggets Over/Under, Spread
The Clippers enter Friday’s game as 5.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.42x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Nuggets are home underdogs with a 2.63x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Los Angeles Clippers -5.5 (1.78x payout)
- Over/Under: 207.5 (1.75x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Clippers 1.42x | Nuggets 2.63x
Team Picks payouts are live as of writing and are subject to change.
Clippers vs. Nuggets Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to get you prepared for Clippers vs. Nuggets today.
- The Nuggets have the second-best against-the-spread (ATS) record in the NBA at 28-20-0 (58.3%).
- The Clippers have been the definition of average ATS this year, going 23-23-0 and 12-12-0 on the road.
- Both teams are in the bottom five in pace, with the Nuggets ranked 26th and the Clippers 29th, according to NBA.com.
- Fewer possessions may lead to a lower-scoring game, which could help the underdogs looking to cover.
- The Nuggets lead the NBA in offensive rating at 120.8, while the Clippers rank 20th in defensive rating at 115.7.
Clippers vs. Nuggets Picks for PrizePicks Today: Friday, January 30
Here are two of the top Clippers vs. Nuggets picks to consider for PrizePicks today. Player projections via the PrizePicks real-money NBA game.
Nuggets PG Jamal Murray vs. Clippers Projection – 32.5 Pts + Asts
- Murray is averaging 36.9 combined points and assists in the month of January.
- In games without Jokic, Murray’s assist percentage climbed from 29.4 to 34.5%, via AddMoreFunds.
- Murray had More than 32.5 points and assists in nine of the 11 games he played in without Jokic in the lineup.
- This season, The Blue Arrow is averaging a career high in 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage at 7.4 and 44.2%, respectively.
- The Clippers allow opponents to shoot 37 3-pointers per game (16th) at a 36.3% clip (19th).
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Nuggets SF Peyton Watson vs. Clippers Projection – 1.5 3-Pointers Made
- Peyton Watson’s usage rate jumped by over 3% in games without Jokic, from 19.2 to 22.3%, via AddMoreFunds.
- The breakout man had More than this projection in nine of 14 games once Jokic was out of the lineup.
- In the month of January, Watson averages 2.4 3-pointers made on 5.2 attempts per game.
Make Clippers vs. Nuggets Picks on PrizePicks
Both teams aim to keep their winning ways going on Friday night in Denver, but Clippers vs. Nuggets picks aren’t the only way hoops fans can get in on the daily NBA action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 30 states.
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