NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors – Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024

The Golden State Warriors (12-7) and Denver Nuggets (10-8) will square off in a NBA Cup Group Play matchup on Tuesday, December 3 at 10:00 PM ET that is a perfect betting opportunity. This matchup will take place at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, where the Nuggets are slight favorites with a point spread at -2.5 (-110). 

Golden State Warriors Betting Preview

The Warriors have lost their last four games, which have all been at 10 points or less. Their latest defeat was a 113-105 outing against the Phoenix Suns.

Steph Curry (22.5 PTS, 6.3 AST) led the Warriors with 23 points and seven rebounds. Their offense was solid and consistent, but they never eclipsed the 30 point mark in any quarter of play while their defense allowed multiple 30 point quarters.

They shot 41.3 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from deep, while they allowed the Suns to make 48.1 percent of their shots and 51.4 percent of their three pointers. This is difficult to overcome any way you look at it if your defense is not able to slow down a good offensive team.

The Warriors are eighth in the league in scoring with 116.2 points per game. Their defense ranks fifth in allowing 109.8 points per game. This is a solid difference between the two averages.

Denver Nuggets Betting Preview

The Nuggets are coming off of a 126-122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, marking their third loss in five games. They came out a little flat in the first quarter (32-23), which was their only quarter where they did not achieve 30 points.

Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets in several categories and is averaging a triple-double. He has been averaging 29.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. Against the Clippers, he put up 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists.

They connected on 58.0 percent of their shots and made 41.7 percent of their threes. Their defense allowed the Clippers to get 47.8 percent of their shots to fall, as well as 46.2 percent of their threes.

The Nuggets rank fifth in the league for points per game at 118.0. On the defensive end, they rank 24th in allowing 116.4 points from opposing teams a game. This does not offer a lot of breathing room, which does not bode well for their chances at success.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The NBA betting odds in the Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets matchup has been provided by MyBookie, showing the Nuggets as 2.5-point favorites. Market analysis insists that the Nuggets have a 59.2 percent chance of winning this battle.

The Warriors do not have a lot of weapons to defend against the bigger lineup of the Nuggets. The Nuggets are also more appealing at home and are coming off a great shooting performance despite a loss.

Final Pick: Denver Nuggets -2.5 (-110)