by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Jan 22, 2023
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Where to watch: ALT, BSOK
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Nuggets -5.5
FanDuel: Nuggets -6
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record
Thunder: 22-24
Nuggets: 33-13
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the season in the NBA and it’s been quite the ride so far. Al McMordie is cashing hard at 22-15-0 in the last 30 days, while Doc’s Sports has also had a strong run of form as of late at 14-10-0 (+$3,000). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the final 41 games. Trust us, you want to know.
Thunder - Nuggets preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Thunder: lost 118-113 at Kings
Nuggets: won 134-111 vs. Pacers
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be playing the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, January 22 in Denver, Colorado.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost against the Sacramento Kings last Friday, January 20 in Sacramento, California with a score of 118-113. The Oklahoma City Thunder currently rank 4th in the Northwest Division.
“The team always runs through the finish line,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Great competitive level. We played exceptionally hard. …certainly a relevant game we can learn from.”
Even despite that latest loss to the Kings, the Thunder are still on a run of winning seven of their last 10. Oklahoma City is still one of the more exciting teams in the league this year because of what it has been able to do with this young talent. Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still playing at an All-Star level and Josh Giddey turning into a budding young star, it's great for the brand. Just imagine if Chet Holmgren was an option.
The Denver Nuggets won against the Indiana Pacers last Friday, January 20 in Denver, Colorado with a score of 134-111. The Denver Nuggets currently rank 1st in the Northwest Division. Jamal Murray got his first career triple-double and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to nine games. Murray finished with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds to replicate the kind of production usually seen from Nikola Jokic, who leads the league in triple-doubles. Jokic had a courtside seat for the Jamal Murray Show and congratulated his point-guard teammate after the feat.
“I was just playing our game, playing aggressive,” Murray explained. “We were just having fun out there. The ball was hopping.”
About their color-coordinated ensemble: “I didn’t know he was going to come in looking like a peach,” Murray cracked.
About emulating Jokic in getting into the triple-double department: “He steals a lot of my triple-doubles,” Murray cracked again. "It was nice to finally get one on the board.”
Aaron Gordon scored 28 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 19 as the Western Conference-leading Nuggets ran their home win streak to 16 games. They haven't lost at Ball Arena since Dec. 6 against Dallas.
“It was really fun to see our guys continue to play the way we play regardless of who’s on the court,” Nuggets acting head coach David Adelman said. “It was fun because a lot of guys contributed. Those are special nights.”
The Nuggets' run to the top of the Western Conference couldn't have come at a better time. The Phoenix Suns have taken a huge dive thanks to injuries and such, and that's allowed Jokic to storm through the league and become the frontrunner for yet another MVP, and sometimes it doesn't even feel like he knows what he's doing. Just triple-doubles are completely normal at this rate. It's crazy.
Prediction
The Thunder are about to learn that while they are on the come-up, there's still a lot of lessons to be learned along the way. What the Nuggets are doing, covering seven of their last nine and on this nine-game winning streak outright, is showing it's going to be very tough for teams to go to Denver in the spring time and knock them off. Nuggets 114, Thunder 105
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be playing the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, January 22 in Denver, Colorado.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost against the Sacramento Kings last Friday, January 20 in Sacramento, California with a score of 118-113. The Oklahoma City Thunder currently rank 4th in the Northwest Division.
“The team always runs through the finish line,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Great competitive level. We played exceptionally hard. …certainly a relevant game we can learn from.”
Even despite that latest loss to the Kings, the Thunder are still on a run of winning seven of their last 10. Oklahoma City is still one of the more exciting teams in the league this year because of what it has been able to do with this young talent. Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still playing at an All-Star level and Josh Giddey turning into a budding young star, it's great for the brand. Just imagine if Chet Holmgren was an option.
The Denver Nuggets won against the Indiana Pacers last Friday, January 20 in Denver, Colorado with a score of 134-111. The Denver Nuggets currently rank 1st in the Northwest Division. Jamal Murray got his first career triple-double and the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to nine games. Murray finished with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds to replicate the kind of production usually seen from Nikola Jokic, who leads the league in triple-doubles. Jokic had a courtside seat for the Jamal Murray Show and congratulated his point-guard teammate after the feat.
“I was just playing our game, playing aggressive,” Murray explained. “We were just having fun out there. The ball was hopping.”
About their color-coordinated ensemble: “I didn’t know he was going to come in looking like a peach,” Murray cracked.
About emulating Jokic in getting into the triple-double department: “He steals a lot of my triple-doubles,” Murray cracked again. "It was nice to finally get one on the board.”
Aaron Gordon scored 28 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 19 as the Western Conference-leading Nuggets ran their home win streak to 16 games. They haven't lost at Ball Arena since Dec. 6 against Dallas.
“It was really fun to see our guys continue to play the way we play regardless of who’s on the court,” Nuggets acting head coach David Adelman said. “It was fun because a lot of guys contributed. Those are special nights.”
The Nuggets' run to the top of the Western Conference couldn't have come at a better time. The Phoenix Suns have taken a huge dive thanks to injuries and such, and that's allowed Jokic to storm through the league and become the frontrunner for yet another MVP, and sometimes it doesn't even feel like he knows what he's doing. Just triple-doubles are completely normal at this rate. It's crazy.
Prediction
The Thunder are about to learn that while they are on the come-up, there's still a lot of lessons to be learned along the way. What the Nuggets are doing, covering seven of their last nine and on this nine-game winning streak outright, is showing it's going to be very tough for teams to go to Denver in the spring time and knock them off. Nuggets 114, Thunder 105
Betting trends
Thunder are 30-15 ATS off two straight under the last 3 seasons.
Thunder are 38-26 ATS off a road loss the last 3 seasons.
Thunder are 22-5 ATS off a road cover where the team lost straight up the last 3 seasons.
Nuggets are 15-9 ATS at home this season.
Thunder are 30-15 ATS off two straight under the last 3 seasons.
Thunder are 38-26 ATS off a road loss the last 3 seasons.
Thunder are 22-5 ATS off a road cover where the team lost straight up the last 3 seasons.
Nuggets are 15-9 ATS at home this season.
Projected starting lineup
Thunder:
PG: Josh Giddey
SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SF: Lu Dort
PF: Jalen Williams
C: Jaylin Williams
Nuggets:
PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Michael Porter Jr.
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic
Statistical leaders
Thunder:
Points: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- 30.6
Rebounds: Josh Giddey -- 8.0
Assists: Josh Giddey -- 5.8
Nuggets:
Points: Nikola Jokic -- 25.1
Rebounds: Nikola Jokic -- 11.0
Assists: Nikola Jokic -- 9.9
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Oklahoma City Thunder - Denver Nuggets prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
