by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Mar 27, 2023
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Where to watch: NBCSP, ALT
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Nuggets -5
BetMGM: Nuggets -5
Caesars: Nuggets -5
Season record
76ers: 49-25
Nuggets: 50-24
The All-Star break is over in the NBA and it's time to get on the horse and finish up the final home stretch of the season. Big trades, uncertainty, and absolute hilarity across the board all gearing up for the final home stretch of this season. You know who is also gearing up for the home stretch? Our champion handicappers at bigal.com who are ready to win their way all the way to the playoffs. There's a lot going on that we can't wait for in these final 23-25 games and you're going to need every bit of hardcore analysis you can get from this group. Just in the last 30 days we've had some big winners. Doc's Sports has posted a 16-6-0 record in the last month (+$9,200). AAA Sports has killed it at 17-8-0, and then Al McMordie with a dominant 20-11-1 mark over the last 30 days. Everything you need to know and more about what's going on this league and sports in general will be a fun finish to the end. All you have to do is go to bigal.com and find our Best Bets page and put forth something that only you think is good. Here's a hint: Go to the bigal.com website and happy betting.
76ers - Nuggets preview, prediction and analysis
The Denver Nuggets got through one test and now they have another ahead of them.
Denver (50-24) used a huge second half to beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night and face another top team from the Eastern Conference when it hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Philadelphia (49-25) is coming off a 20-point loss at Phoenix on Saturday night, its second straight and third in the last four. The Sixers are four games behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are in second place in the Atlantic Division.
One reason Philadelphia is scuffling is the absence of James Harden, who has missed three games with a sore Achilles. Harden leads the NBA in assists per game at 10.8 and is averaging 21.4 points a game.
Harden is on the trip and could play against the Nuggets, but coach Doc Rivers said he will prioritize health with his point guard.
"You want them to get healthy, and you don't want to coach trying to push guys to play, put any pressure on guys," Rivers said Saturday. "We've got to be healthy when it counts. If that means James doesn't play Monday, I have no qualms with that. We need him back, but we want him back for the long haul. We don't want him in and out, especially at this point in the season."
A subplot of Monday's game is Joel Embiid going against Nikola Jokic in a matchup of MVP candidates. Embiid leads the NBA in scoring with 33.3 points a game and had a statement game when the teams played in Philadelphia on Jan. 28.
Embiid finished with 47 points and 18 rebounds in a 126-119 win.
Jokic, meanwhile, is eight assists shy of averaging a triple-double for the season and is coming off a 31-point, 11-assist performance against the Bucks. Jokic has won the last two MVP awards and appeared to be the favorite for a third straight before Embiid's recent play.
While Jokic winning the MVP would be a bonus, the Nuggets are focused on clinching the top seed in the Western Conference. Entering Sunday, they lead Memphis by 3 1/2 games with eight remaining, and a win over Philadelphia would get them a step closer.
Denver has recovered from a recent four-game losing streak to win its last three and can push that to five if it can sweep this quick homestand. However, coach Michael Malone isn't taking anything for granted.
"I worry about everything. I don't ever assume anything," Malone said. "I think with (eight) games to go, we've seen here in Denver the last seven, eight games some pretty uncharacteristic basketball for us."
The Nuggets clicked in the second half against Milwaukee, outscoring the Bucks 66-40. Jamal Murray, considered the key to a deep playoff run, had 26 points and is finding his stroke down the stretch but was happier with the team's defense.
"When we're playing defense at a high level and rotating, everybody knows exactly what they're doing, we're tough to beat," he said.
Prediction
Embiid vs. Joker is always going to be fun. Last time it was. In Denver, the two-time MVP gets it done. Nuggets 118, 76ers 110
Prediction
Embiid vs. Joker is always going to be fun. Last time it was. In Denver, the two-time MVP gets it done. Nuggets 118, 76ers 110
Projected starting lineup
76ers:
PG: Shake Milton
SG: Tyrese Maxey
SF: Tobias Harris
PF: P.J. Tucker
C: Joel Embiid
Nuggets:
PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Michael Porter Jr.
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this preview, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA/college basketball 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.
