The struggling Toronto Raptors take on the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday in a highly anticipated showdown that’s tough to see Toronto winning.
Due to the struggles of the Raptors, especially their 3-7 record in their last 10 games, the indicators suggest a challenging path to victory in their next game.
The Denver Nuggets, despite their own share of struggles, have seen most of their early-season woes linked to Jamal Murray’s injury. However, with Murray back in health and expected to hit the court in this matchup, the Nuggets are poised to bolster their performance significantly.
Toronto will need to get back on track and try to build upon their recent win against the Charlotte Hornets. Against a fully fit Nuggets lineup, staying healthy and climbing up the Western Conference standings will be their biggest concern.
Raptors vs Nuggets Prediction
- Pick: Nuggets -4.5
- Odds: -112 (Tonybet)
As a team this season, the Nuggets haven’t played as well as they did last season when they won the NBA Finals. The injuries are certainly to blame, but their 7-8 record on the road is concerning, while their 6-4 record in their last 10 games isn’t much better.
Mile High dub ⚒
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2023
Despite their challenges, the Nuggets still have the seventh-best net rating at 4.4. That’s due to their top-10 offensive rating (117.3) and 12th-ranked defensive rating (112.9). These figures will only get better as the team gets healthier and in a better flow throughout the season’s progression.
Back in the win column! @katywinge is with AG 👇#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/znju4shOWy
— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) December 19, 2023
Toronto’s performance this year has been lacklustre, reflected in their 22nd-ranked net rating of -1.5. This is largely attributed to their faltering offense, which ranks 19th in the league with a score of 112.9. Currently ranked 14th, the defence hasn’t shown the dominance that the Raptors have been known for in previous seasons.
SCOTTIE GOIN’ OFF 🔥
18 PTS | 16 REB | 7 AST pic.twitter.com/2gvTpRW5Zh
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 19, 2023
While the defence can be better, Toronto’s slow and boring offence continues to be the team’s main problem. A long game awaits them on Wednesday if they can’t score, as the Nuggets are capable of racking up 130-plus points effortlessly on any given night.
Team effort in tonight’s win 🙌
Jamal: 22 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST / 1 BLK / 1 AST
Joker: 8 PTS / 9 REB / 7 AST / 2 STL
AG: 21 PTS / 5 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL
Julian: 12 PTS / 3 REB / 2 AST
Reggie: 20 PTS / 1 REB / 4 AST
P-Wat: 10 PTS / 7 REB / 3 AST / 1 BLK / 2 STL
Zeke: 14 PTS /… pic.twitter.com/OOv8Dks8zn— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2023
The Raptors’ mediocre 8-7 home record further highlights their lack of dominance in their own arena. With their offensive struggles and poor overall record, backing Denver on the spread seems like the best bet to me.
Raptors vs Nuggets Betting Tip
- Pick: Nikola Jokic Over 8 Assists
- Odds: -434 (Tonybet)
Betting on Nikola Jokić remains one of the top picks in the NBA betting world. Jokić is a guy who does it all with points, rebounds and assists. His assists, however, are the best play of the game.
Let’s make it six in a row🫡 #NBAAllStar
🗳 https://t.co/EofCiiUBKf pic.twitter.com/8jhB1aJNC9
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 19, 2023
On the season, Toronto has allowed 4.13 assists per game to the center position. That’s about the league average, which should indicate that Jokić finds easy buckets for his team with his impressive average of 9.5 assists per game.
This is an interesting matchup, as the Raptors have a track record of performing effectively against star players. I don’t feel comfortable taking his points as I expect a big assist night from Jokić.
Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.
