Despite recently being ravaged by the injury bug, the Denver Nuggets (23-10) got back into the win column and look to keep it up against the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-16) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The game can be streamed on Prime Video.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers put their three-game home winning streak on the line as they look to move up in the Eastern Conference standings.
Below, we'll preview the game and offer a Nuggets vs. Cavaliers prediction and picks on PrizePicks , including player projections for G Donovan Mitchell and G Jamal Murray.
Nuggets vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Entering Friday's interconference showdown, the Nuggets sit in third place in the West, just 5.5 games behind the top-seeded Thunder.
After dropping consecutive games to the Magic and Heat, the Nuggets righted the ship with a much-needed 106-103 win vs. the Raptors on Wednesday. G Peyton Watson led the way with a team-high 24 points, but the victory came at a cost as C Jonas Valanciunas suffered a calf strain and will be sidelined for at least four weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
It's the latest in a long list of injuries for Denver. In addition to C Nikola Jokic's knee issue, the Nuggets will also be without F Aaron Gordon (hamstring), G Christian Braun (ankle), and F Cameron Johnson (knee).
G Jamal Murray, who is probable for Friday’s game due to an ankle injury, will continue to be depended upon for offensive production. Murray averages a career-best 25.2 points and 7.0 assists, while shooting 45.4% from three.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are a far cry from the team that finished as the East’s top seed a season ago, sitting eighth place in the Eastern Conference, 6.5 games behind the top-seeded Pistons following back-to-back wins against the Spurs and Suns.
One positive for the Cavaliers has been the play of G Donovan Mitchell, who is in the midst of having a career year in the scoring department with 29.7 points per contest. Spida is also shooting a career-high 38.9% from beyond the arc, a massive lift for a Cleveland team ranking 22nd in 3-point shooting percentage (34.9) as a unit.
On their injury front, F De’Andre Hunter is listed as questionable due to an illness, while G Sam Merrill is questionable as he continues to deal with a left ankle sprain.
Nuggets vs. Cavaliers Over/Under, Spread
The Cavaliers are 13.5-point favorites, returning a 1.12x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Nuggets will return a 5.26x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
- Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -13.5
- Over/Under: 239.5
- Gamer Winner Payout: Nuggets 5.26x | Cavaliers 1.12x
Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Nuggets vs. Cavaliers Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to get you prepared for Nuggets vs. Cavaliers today.
- The Cavaliers are 6-14 against the spread at home.
- Denver is 10-8 against the spread on the road.
- Cleveland is 6-13 against the spread as a home favorite.
Nuggets vs. Cavaliers Picks
Here are some of the top Nuggets vs. Cavaliers picks on PrizePicks for today. Player projections are via the PrizePicks real-money NBA game.
Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell vs. Nuggets Projection – 34.5 Pts+Asts
- Mitchell averaged 33.1 combined points and assists in his last 10 games.
- The Cavaliers star guard spends 31.8% of his time on ball, per databallr ranking him in the 60th percentile.
- Mitchell registers 32.4 true shot attempts per 100 possessions, also per databallr, placing him in the 98th percentile.
- The scoring machine averages 5.5 assists per contest. On the other hand, the Nuggets surrender 27.7 assists on a nightly basis, the eighth-most among NBA teams.
Nuggets G Jamal Murray vs. Cavaliers Projection – 35.5 Pts+Asts
- Murray averages 35.0 combined points and assists over his last five.
- The former Kentucky standout has recorded 17.4 potential assists per 100 possessions, per databallr, placing him in the 98th percentile.
- The All-Star hopeful shoots 50.5% from 3 over the last month. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers allow their opponents to hit 37.6% from beyond the arc, the third-highest clip in the league.
- The star guard serves as the team’s primary ball-handler as he spends 36.7% of his time on ball, per databallr, placing him in the 99th percentile.
Make Nuggets vs. Cavaliers Picks on PrizePicks
The Nuggets have a mile-long injury list, which could gives the Cavaliers an opportunity to make some noise on their home floor.
Make your Nuggets vs. Cavaliers picks at PrizePicks, where you can earn real-money rewards for your predictions if you’re right. Just choose players — including Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray — predict More or Less on their projected stats, and follow the hoops action to see if your picks hit. You can make picks on winners, spreads, and over/unders on Team Picks, now available in 30 states.
Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every statMeanwhile, the Cavaliers will put a three-game home winning streak on the line as they look to move up in the Eastern Conference standings. Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.
