Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets preview, prediction and picks

The Washington Wizards (15-12, 12-14-1 ATS) enter Monday night’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets (13-13, 11-15 ATS) to address their sagging record. The game also presents an opportunity for the Nuggets to improve their record above .500 for the first time since Nov. 22.

Will the Wizards get a morale-boosting win against a dark-horse West team? Or will the Nuggets cruise to their first winning streak in weeks?

BetUs.com likes the Nuggets’ chance in this game, placing them at -3.5 point. The total is set at 215 points, which smacks dab in the middle of today’s NBA scoring averages.

Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets Betting Lines

ATS: Wizards 3.5+

Moneyline: Wizards 2.40, Nuggets 1.63

O/U: 215.5 points

Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets Team News

The Wizards may have to wait just a little longer on the return of former lottery pick Rui Hachimura, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. The Japanese forward hasn’t played a single game this season as he’s still recovering from a mental health issue. According to Wizards head coach Wes Unseld, the team hopes Hachimura can start participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages within the next two weeks. The ex-Gonzaga standout has already undergone 1-on-1 drills against player development coaches and may see 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 action with teammates during the road trip.

Chris Vernon of The Ringer dropped a hint in a recent episode of “The Mismatch” on Jamal Murray, possibly making his NBA return earlier than expected. According to the NBA pundit, Murray might return to action as early as February. Murray has been rehabilitating for months after suffering a tear in his left ACL last April. The usual timeline for an NBA player to make a full recovery from an ACL tear extends 10 to 12 months. If Murray rejoins his team in February, his recovery period will only last roughly ten months from the injury.

Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets Injury Report

Wizards: Kyle Kuzma – OUT (Quarantine), Thomas Bryant – OUT (Knee), and Rui Hachimura – OUT (Personal).

Nuggets: Austin Rivers – OUT (Quarantine), Will Barton – Questionable (Illness), Aaron Gordon – Questionable (Back), Jamychal Green – Doubtful (Ankle), Jamal Murray – OUT (Knee), PJ Dozier – OUT (Knee), Michael Porter Jr. – OUT (Back).

Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets Preview

The Wizards have now lost four of their last five games; the latest setback came against the Utah Jazz, 123-98. Bradley Beal tallied 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Daniel Gafford had a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. The Wizards converted just eight of their 25 shot attempts from beyond the arc, and allowed the Jazz to wax hot, shooting 51.6 percent from the field.

The Nuggets wrapped up their eight-game road trip with a 127-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs, avenging their earlier loss two days ago. Nikola Jokic racked up 35 points, 17 rebounds and 8 assists, while Markus Howard and Bones Hyland combined for 38 points off the bench. Denver limited San Antonio to a woeful 10-for-37 shooting from deep and 46.1 percent from the field.

Washington Wizards vs Denver Nuggets Prediction

Fearless Forecast: The Nuggets get their first back-to-back win in weeks, beating the undermanned Wizards by double-digits.

The Wizards may have the number against Denver, having beaten them seven of their last 10, including their last three matchups. However, the Nuggets boasts a healthy superstar and MVP caliber player in Nikola Jokic to rely on this game. As for the Wizards, they have been playing spotty as of late since Kyle Kuzma was sidelined with injury.

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver’s last 8 games against Washington.
In 4 of Denver’s last 5 games when playing at home against Washington, the total has gone UNDER.