Be sure to check injury reports and any new information as these picks may change. Only two games out right now, so I will cap them both!
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
This match up features two heavy weight Western Conference teams of the 3rd placed Lakers against the 4th place Nuggets. The Lakers get home court advantage and will look to extend their win streak to four games. Davis and James are listed on the injury report as game time decisions, they will most likely play to avoid a loss.
The Lakers and Nuggets are both high powered offenses due to their shooting percentages and ability to get assists, with Denver getting the slight edge in these categories. The Lakers and Nuggets are both at efficient at fighting to get rebounds, ranking towards the front of the pack in this category.
All eyes will be on the superstars for both teams, especially the surprise MVP front runner Jokic for the Nuggets. He has redefined the center position by his ability to find open teammates and capability of knocking down a shot anywhere on the court. Jokic is averaging 26.8 PPG, 8.6 APG, and 11.8 RPG. The other Denver player having a banner season is Porter Jr. the second year player was plagued by injuries his rookie season. MPJ has shown to be a capable player on the court with room to grow and is averaging 16.5 PPG, and 6.5 RPG. Jokic, Murray, and MPJ will have to all have great games in order to survive the Lakers top ranked defense.
If James and Davis are a go, the Nuggets will have their hands full with this duo and excellent bench play. This duo does it all with James averaging 25.0 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 7.7 RPG while Davis is averaging 22.3 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 8.6 RP7 RPG.
This game will most likely come down to the bench players. The Lakers have the better bench can keep their starters fresh. The Lakers should get the win with a Denver cover of +5.0.
Utah Jazz at Atlanta Hawks
The Jazz are the hottest team in the league and now first in the Western Conference. They are 9-1 in their last 10 games and will be poised to go on another winning streak.
The Jazz’s offense and defense are both ranked 5th in rating. This makes for a nasty concoction because their defense can still keep them in the game on poor shooting nights and almost unstoppable to best when both are in sync.
The Jazz offense is lead by star shooting guard Mitchell. The shooting guard posseses the ability to drop 30+ points on at given night. His averages are 23.3 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 4.3 RPG. Conely has accepted the facilitator role for this team, he leads the team in assists and moves the offense along efficiently.
The Jazz are the more seasoned team with playoff experience and have had relatively the same players from the last few years giving them a huge advantage in team chemistry.
However, the Hawks should not be taken lightly. Although they are on the other side of the spectrum when it comes to chemistry, they tout several players who can go off in scoring while also having a deep bench. Th Hawks will be one of the top teams in the east once their chemistry problems are solved.
The Hawks will need a full team effort with a Trae Young 30+ point night. He dropped 21 points last game and 25 the night before suggesting a 30+ point the night could be imminent. Young is having a great season and nearly averaging a double-double. His average are 26.6 PPG, 9.0 APG and 4.2 RPG.
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The Jazz is the massive -7.5 favorite on the road. The Jazz might be overvalued in this situation, they should get the win as they are a much more complete team. The Hawks are a scrappy team and can pull a stellar offensive night out of their hats. The Hawks will look to prove their worth and come out swinging allowing them to get cover of +7.5.
Nuggets +5.0
Hawks +7.5
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