A Western Conference affair has the Phoenix Suns (44-35) hosting the Denver Nuggets (52-27) on Thursday night. This is the final of four matchups between these clubs, with Denver owning a 2-1 advantage. They last played on March 31 when the Suns beat the Nuggets 100-93. Denver sits as the No. 1 seed in the West, while Phoenix sits in the fourth spot. Denver is sitting its entire starting lineup of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon. Phoenix has no injuries to report.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Suns as a 13-point favorite in the latest Nuggets vs. Suns odds. The over/under for total points is set at 222.5. Before locking in any Suns vs. Nuggets picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters the final week of the 2022-23 NBA regular season a stunning 71-36 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nuggets vs. Suns and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the NBA lines and trends for Suns vs. Nuggets:
- Nuggets vs. Suns: Phoenix -13
- Nuggets vs. Suns over/under 222.5 points
- Nuggets vs. Suns money line: Phoenix -800, Denver +550
- DEN: Nuggets are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a straight-up loss
- PHO: Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall
- Nuggets vs. Suns picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Suns can cover
Center Deandre Ayton is a nimble and agile threat in the frontcourt. Ayton has a soft touch around the basket and uses his long arms to pull down rebounds. The Arizona product averages 18 points, 10 rebounds, and makes 58% of his field goal attempts. Ayton has pulled down double-digit boards in three straight, and in his last contest versus the San Antonio Spurs, Ayton dropped 19 points with 11 boards.
Guard Chris Paul is a savvy playmaker and facilitator who has terrific ball handles and court vision to set up the offense. The 12-time All-Star selection also has a smooth mid-range jumper. Paul averages 13.7 points and 9 assists per game. In his last contest, he dropped 22 points, three assists, and knocked down four 3-pointers.
Why the Nuggets can cover
Guard Bruce Brown brings playmaking skills to the offense while having the ability to guard multiple positions on defense. Brown ranks third on the team in both assists (3.3) and steals (1.1) while being one of five Nuggets averaging in double-figures. Last week against Phoenix, Brown contributed 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Forward Jeff Green provides veteran leadership in addition to the ability to spread the floor as a big. Over his last 13 games, Green has knocked down 39% of his 3-point attempts. In his 15th NBA season, he still can get buckets and has reached double-digit scoring 17 times this season. Green has yet to face Phoenix this season, but he averaged 14.3 points across three meetings with the Suns last year.
How to make Nuggets vs. Suns picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 226 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 70% of simulations.
