The surprisingly solid'Utah Jazz (4-1) visit the surprisingly mediocre Denver Nuggets (3-2) Friday in a Western Conference battle. Tipoff from Ball Arena is set for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Jazz vs. Nuggets odds, and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
The Jazz look solid all around. Newly acquired pieces F Lauri Markkanen, G'Collin Sexton'and F'Jarred Vanderbilt have looked great for this team alongside G Jordan Clarkson and seasoned veteran'G'Mike Conley. Markkanen leads the Jazz in scoring (22.0 PPG) on 48.8% shooting from the field. Vanderbilt is Utah’s top rebounder (9.8 RPG), while also being their best defender. Conley leads the Jazz in assists (7.8 APG), while also being the veteran leader on this team.
The Nuggets is led by reigning back-to-back MVP C Nikola Jokic. He leads the team in points (22.4 PPG), rebounds (10.8 RPG) and assists (9.4 APG). Stars G Jamal Murray'and F'Michael Porter Jr. are being re-integrated into this team after suffering what could have been career-ending injuries. Murray has not looked like himself yet due to that injury, but that will likely change as the season progresses. G Bruce Brown'has looked like an amazing off-season pickup – he drilled a team-high 4 3-pointers in a 110-99 home win vs. the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday.
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