NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat

NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat

The Denver Nuggets (24-15) and Miami Heat (20-18) square up for the second time this season, with action taking place on Friday, January 17 at 8:00 PM ET at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The Heat are favored with a point spread at -1.5 (-110 MyBookie).

Denver Nuggets Betting Preview

The Nuggets just had their four-game win streak snapped when they suffered a loss against the Houston Rockets. This ended in a 128-108 fashion, but was just their third loss in 10 games.

The Rockets had one advantage in this game, which was a healthier roster. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic, which is a major blow to their chances of success anytime he is unable to play. Jamal Murray and Christian Braun both led with 22 points.

They only scored over 30 points in a quarter just once and allowed the Rockets to get as many as 41 points in a single quarter too. Surprisingly, they shot better from the field than the Rockets at 53.3 percent and 48.3 percent from long range.

The Nuggets look great offensively, when healthy, and are third with an average of 120.0 points a game. Their defense has had some issues, as they rank 23rd and allow opponents to get 116.0 points a game on them.

Miami Heat Betting Preview

The Heat are currently on a two-game losing skid and are having some drama with Jimmy Butler wanting to get out of Miami. Butler is supposedly able to play after a two-game suspension.

Their latest defeat was a 117-108 battle against the Los Angeles Lakers. They started off great with a 38-33 first quarter, but had moments of cooling off like they did in the third quarter with just 19 points. Tyler Herro led with 34 points and only missed six of his 18 shots.

Both teams shot particularly well from the field, but turnovers were a huge factor. The Heat had 20 turnovers and they only forced seven on the Lakers.

The Heat are compiling 110.7 points a game and rank 21st. Their defense comes in at seventh in allowing opponents to reach 109.5 points a game.

MyBookie has provided the Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat betting odds and it shows this could be a close one, with the Heat as 1.5-point favorites. The Nuggets won the first meeting back in November at home with a 135-122 performance. According to market predictions, the Nuggets have a 59.1 percent chance of winning the second time.

Several key players are a game time decision status for this matchup, which includes Jokic (30.6 PPG, 13.2 REB, 9.9 AST). If they are all good to go, the Nuggets should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Denver Nuggets +1.5 (-110)