Nuggets vs Jazz Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NBA Game

While the Denver Nuggets have made the NBA Playoffs in each of the last four seasons, they have yet to emerge as a true title contender. Meanwhile, it's been six straight postseason appearances for the Utah Jazz, but they blew up their core in the offseason by trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

These two squads meet to open their respective 2022-23 seasons in search of a statement victory.

Nuggets vs Jazz Odds

Denver enters this contest as a notable -290 favorite on the moneyline (7-point spread), according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. This Western Conference showdown's total is set at 225.5 points.

Which way should NBA fans be leaning in this exciting matchup, and where can bettors find value?

Nuggets vs Jazz Prediction and Best Bet

The Nuggets are led by two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and posted a 48-34 record last season without their staring point guard. Jamal Murray is finally back to full health and his presence gives this Denver squad a huge boost. Murray averages 16.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds in his career.

Utah is in a much different situation. New faces can be found all over the roster, including the likes of Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and Malik Beasley. Expecting this new group to gel right away would be unrealistic. It's going to take at least a few games for the Jazz to figure out what their identity is.

I'll side with Denver -7 (-112) here. The Nuggets averaged 112.7 points per game last season (No. 10 in NBA) and shot an impressive 48.2% from the floor (No. 2 in NBA). Adding Murray to an offense that has already proven capable of scoring with ease is going to be too much for the Jazz to overcome.

More value lies in betting on under 225.5 points to be scored, though. Both Utah and Denver ranked outside the top 20 NBA teams in pace last season and feature head coaches that aren't afraid to slow the game down at any point. The Jazz's lack of chemistry is not going to lead to a lot of points, either.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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