The Oklahoma City Thunder host a team that they've enjoyed playing against over the last five games, with the Denver Nuggets making the trip on Saturday, February 28 (13:30 AEDT).
OKC are 4-1 over the last five matches, which includes a win earlier this season. The Thunder secured a 121-111 victory at the beginning of February, which came during a period of difficulty for the Western Conference leaders.
The Nuggets have been up toward the top of the standings for the majority of the regular season themselves, but they clearly don't enjoy going to OKC, having lost the last four consecutive trips.
Quick Picks
- Our pick: OKC to win
- Value bet: Jokic to have a triple-double
- Long shot: Total points - Under
Betting Preview
This game might not be as much of a classic as many would anticipate, due to the lengthy injury reports that both teams have, with each of them featuring key players.
OKC have been without NBA MVP favourite Shai-Gilgeous Alexander for a while, while Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Chet Holmgren also remain questionable for this game. For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon remains on the sidelines, as does Peyton Watson. Questions over the availability of Jalen Pickett, Jamal Murray, and Julian Strawther persist.
With these injuries, it could be that the game doesn't feature a significant points total. Many of them are among the leaders for their respective teams.
Betting Markets to Watch
Indeed, we think there will be value in the points total, depending on where the line is set. We would suggest that there could be value worth exploring in the under, given the lack of scoring power that is likely to be on offer. If you're new to how to bet on the NBA, totals markets are a great place to start.
Nikola Jokic is still likely to play, though, which could mean there's value in the numbers that he offers. A triple-double offers some value for the Serbian, as he has had five across the last 10 games he has been involved in over February (prior to the Boston Celtics game). For those unfamiliar with what is a triple-double in basketball, it's when a player records double digits in three statistical categories.
As an extension of this, we think 30+ points also offers some additional value, as he has the ability to eclipse this number, despite only doing so three times in his last 10 games. This is the main reason why we think there's value worth exploring.
Our Prediction
Check the latest NBA betting odds at Sportsbet.
If we're to pick a likely winner, we think OKC will be the most likely outright victors in the moneyline. They have a strong recent H2H record against the Nuggets and have enjoyed playing at home in the last few meetings.
A long shot is that this game will be the total points being under the line. As highlighted above, we think this could be the case due to the players likely to be absent.