Nuggets vs. Suns Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 25 (Trust the Offenses to Start Hot on Christmas Day)

Nuggets vs. Suns Game Info

• Date: Sunday, December 25, 2022
• Time: 10:30 PM ET
• Venue: Ball Arena -- Denver, Colorado
• Coverage: ABC and ESPN

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Sunday with five more games, including a battle between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. The Suns rank fourth in the Western Conference with a 19-14 record, while the Nuggets check in first with an 20-11 record. This exciting game could go either way.

Phoenix begins a six-game road trip on Sunday after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, 125-100, on Friday to end its home stand. Meanwhile, Denver enters as a victor in six of its last seven games following a 120-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Which team will win on Christmas?

Nuggets vs. Suns Odds & Spread

Nuggets vs Suns Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Nuggets	-4	-	-	231	-110	-110	-176	148

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: DEN: (-196) | PHO: (+164)
• Spread: DEN: -4.5 (-110) | PHO: +4.5 (-110)
• Total: 230.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Nuggets enter this contest as notable home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 10:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 230.5 points, which is the highest of Sunday's projected totals.

Nuggets vs. Suns Betting Trends

• The Nuggets compiled a 36-44-2 ATS record last year.
• The Suns had one win ATS (1-2) as underdogs of 4 points or more last season.
• Last season, 47 Nuggets games hit the over.
• Last season, 41 of the Suns' 82 games went over the point total.

Nuggets vs. Suns Prediction & Pick

There is no team in the NBA that wants to play Nikola Jokic given the run he is on right now. The two-time reigning MVP is averaging 28.9 points, 12.9 rebounds and 9.8 assists over his last 10 games. Jokic has also notched three triple-doubles and nine double-doubles during that same stretch.

Even if Jokic cannot dominate Deandre Ayton in the paint, he can kick it out to his teammates with confidence. That's because the Nuggets lead the NBA in three-point shooting percentage (38.9%) and rank first in opponent fouls per home game (22.6). They know how to draw contact when needed.

Denver is riding a five-game home winning streak and I expect that mark to reach six on Sunday.

Final Score Prediction: Nuggets: 119 | Suns: 111

Nuggets vs. Suns Best Bet

Players are going to be pumped up for this game. Not only is it being played on Christmas Day, but it is a massive game in terms of Western Conference positioning. Look for stars like Jokic, Chris Paul, Jamal Murray and Mikal Bridges to come out of the gate firing. It'll be a great first half to watch.

Denver averages a reliable 60.6 first half points per game (No. 2 in NBA), while Phoenix puts up 56.4 first half points per away game (No. 14 in NBA). More than 112 points have also been scored in seven of Denver's last nine games as well, which makes betting on a high-scoring start the best bet here.

Bet: First Half Total Points Over 112.5 (-114)

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. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.