Nuggets vs. Heat: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Nuggets vs. Heat Odds
| Nuggets Odds | -1.5 |
| Celtics Odds | +1.5 |
| Over/Under | 220 |
| Date | Mon, Feb. 13 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | NBA TV |
Tonight, the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will meet at FTX Arena on NBA TV. Entering play, Denver (39-18) owns the best record in the Western Conference. Miami (32-25) has the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, oddsmakers are expecting a competitive contest between these two teams on Monday, pricing the Nuggets as 1.5-point road favorites on the spread.
Denver Nuggets
Murray, Gordon listed as questionable
Ahead of tip-off this evening, the Nuggets have listed Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon as questionable. On the season, Murray is second on the team in scoring, averaging 20.2 points in 45 games played. Gordon is the team’s third-leading scorer, contributing 17.3 points per contest.
If Murray and Gordon are unable to take the floor, it will be a major loss for this group. According to Cleaning the Glass, Denver ranks in the 10th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 27th percentile in defensive efficiency with both Murray and Gordon off of the floor this year.
Road woes
Despite owning the best record in the Western Conference, the Nuggets are below .500 on the road this season. In 27 games played away from home, Denver is 13-14 and ranks 23rd out of 30 teams in Net Rating, having been outscored by 4.1 points per 100 possessions. If Murray and Gordon are ultimately held out of the lineup, Nikola Jokic will need to have a heroic performance to give his team an opportunity to win.
If you are not in a state with legal sports betting, you can target Nikola Jokic player props using our No House Advantage promo code in a DFS game.
Miami Heat
Lowry, Oladipo OUT
Miami is missing a pair of notable names this evening, but their absence is far from a death sentence for the Heat. Per Cleaning the Glass, when both Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo are off of the court this year, the team ranks in the 44th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 91st percentile in defensive efficiency.
Miami is 22-22 with Lowry in the lineup this season and 10-3 with him in street clothes. There are strong arguments to be made that the team is better off without him being available.
Who will step up for the Heat?
Per CourtIQ, when Lowry and Oladipo are off of the court, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo are each averaging north of 20 points per 36 minutes of action. In these situations, Butler is particularly aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, averaging a team-high 24.2 points per 36 minutes. Expect him to be heavily involved once again on Monday.
Nuggets vs. Heat – Picks & Predictions
Simply, the Denver Nuggets are a completely different team on the road than they are at home. In this matchup, they are potentially missing two of their top three offensive weapons against an elite Miami Heat defense.
On the road this year, Denver ranks 23rd out of 30 teams in defensive efficiency, allowing 116.9 points per 100 possessions. It is difficult to play competitive basketball on the road in the NBA if unable to consistently get stops. The Heat are a live underdog in this spot.
PICK: Heat (+105, Caesars)
Image Credit: Getty Images