The Denver Nuggets (22-9) dropped two of their last three — both losses were by a single point — but will look to put those heartbreaking defeats behind them as they head to Miami, where they'll stare down the 17-15 Heat on Monday. The game tips at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Denver established themselves as one of the top NBA title contenders in the Western Conference. Before losing three of their last five, the Nuggets put together a six-game winning streak that featured victories over playoff hopefuls Houston and Orlando.
Below, we'll preview the game and offer a Nuggets vs. Heat prediction and picks on PrizePicks for today, including player projections for C Nikola Jokic and G Norman Powell.
Nuggets vs. Heat Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Nuggets are currently in third place in the West, just 4.5 games behind the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West. Despite dropping three of their last five , Denver had been an incredibly consistent group with eight wins in 11 games.
Denver suffered a heartbreaking 127-126 loss vs. the Orlando Magic on Saturday despite a 34/21/12 triple-double from F Nikola Jokic, who continues to put up MVP-caliber numbers. In his last five games, the Nuggets star is averaging 31.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 11.8 assists, while shooting 52.4% from three.
As lethal as the Oklahoma City Thunder have been, the Nuggets are actually the Association's top-scoring offense with 125.8 points per contest, while shooting a league-best 51.3% from the field.
The Nuggets are hampered by injuries to the likes of F Aaron Gordon (hamstring), G Christian Braun (ankle), and now F Cameron Johnson (knee), all of whom will miss this game.
On the other side of the court, Heat G Norman Powell has been a model of consistency in the scoring department, leading Miami in points (23.7), while registering a 39.9% shooting clip from beyond the arc. With G Tyler Herro out of the lineup for Monday’s game (toe), Powell will continue to be relied upon as one of the team’s top scoring options.
Meanwhile, after getting off to a 13-6 start this season, Miami has struggled with a 3-8 mark over its last 11. Head coach Erik Spolestra's crew has won back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers entering Monday’s contest are 11-5 at the Kaseya Center.
Nuggets vs. Heat Over/Under, Spread
The Nuggets are 3.5-point favorites, returning a 1.66x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Heat will return a 2.12x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
- Spread: Denver Nuggets -3.5
- Over/Under: 244.5
- Gamer Winner Payout: Nuggets 1.66x | Heat 2.12x
Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Nuggets vs. Heat Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to get you prepared for Nuggets vs. Heat today.
- The Heat are 9-7 against the spread at home.
- The Nuggets are 9-7 against the spread on the road.
- Denver is 8-6 against the spread as a road favorite.
- Denver has won nine of the last 10 meetings against Miami.
Nuggets vs. Heat Picks
Here are some of the top Nuggets vs. Heat picks on PrizePicks for today. Player projections are via the PrizePicks real-money NBA game.
Nuggets C Nikola Jokic vs. Heat Projection – 43.5 Pts+Rebs
- Jokic is averaging 44.4 combined points and rebounds in his last five games.
- The three-time NBA MVP has secured a 26.3% defensive rebounding rate, per databallr. That ranks in the 98th percentile in the NBA.
- The Heat are the second-worst rebounding team in the NBA, surrendering 47.7 rebounds per game to their opponents.
- Jokic is averaging 12.3 rebounds per contest during the month of December, and tallies 28.4 true shot attempts per 100 possessions, per databallr. That ranks in the 99th percentile in the NBA.
Heat G Norman Powell vs. Nuggets Projection – 23.5 Points
- Powell averages 22.4 points per game in December. However, in 23 games without Tyler Herro this season, the veteran guard’s average increases to 24.0.
- The potental All-Star registers 27.6 true shot attempts per 100 possessions, per databallr. That ranks in the 95th percentile.
- Powell has struggled lately shooting just 32.0% (8-of-25) from distance over his last four games. Meanwhile, he is knocking down 39.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc on the season, ranking him in the 80th percentile, per databallr.
- The former second-round pick finishes 10.9 of his true shot attempts at the rim, per databallr, good for 96th percentile.
Make Nuggets vs. Heat Picks on PrizePicks
The Nuggets are aiming to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Magic, while the Heat are coming off a win. Nikola Jokic will look to fill up the stat sheet for the Nuggets and the Heat will lean on Norman Powell to carry the scoring load.
There are plenty of options worth considering on PrizePicks. Just pick players, predict More or Less on at least two stat projections, then earn real-money rewards if you're right.
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