10:10 pm
October 26

Nuggets @ Jazz

Who will WIN this matchup?

Denver Nuggets (2-1)

@ Utah Jazz (2-0)

 

Current odds:

Denver Nuggets: (+250)

Utah Jazz: (-300)

 

• The line for this game is Jazz by 7 points.

• Ahead of Tuesday night’s TNT-televised showdown with the Northwest Division rival Denver Nuggets in Salt Lake City, Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder made an admission. Snyder loves Nikola Jokic’s game. Of course, Snyder prefers when he can sit back and enjoy watching the wide variety of skills the reigning Most Valuable Player brings to the game when he isn’t about to face Jokic and the Nuggets.

• Snyder noted that Jokic is difficult to guard because he’s a huge man with point-guard skills and wing-scoring capabilities. Oh, yeah, and he’s got post moves and a “nearly unblockable” turnaround shot. That’s why Jazz center Rudy Gobert, no stranger to league honors as last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, concurred with the NBA voters for MVP last season. Gobert, by the way, is the only NBA player to snag more rebounds per game than Jokic. The French center has hauled in 41 boards in just two games. Jokic, the big Serbian, averages 16 per game.

• While the Jazz have had a few days off to think about Jokic and Denver, the Nuggets endured their first home loss of the season on Monday night, 99-87 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jokic led them with 24 points and 19 rebounds, but Denver had only three other players score in double figures, with nobody else getting more than 12.

• Monday’s game was rough in several areas for Denver, which only shot 40.7 percent overall, including 9-for-38 from 3-point range.

• In addition to falling from the ranks of the unbeaten, Denver is trending in the wrong direction when it comes to taking care of the basketball. The Nuggets turned the ball over 22 times, which is a season-high. They have 62 turnovers in three games.

• The Nuggets have their work cut out for them on the tail end of a back-to-back set, traveling to Utah late Monday night and being matched with one of only three remaining undefeated teams.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Utah Jazz
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