Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets odds, starters, injury reports, predictions
The Utah Jazz have been struggling of late. It’s pretty easy to draw a direct line between their four game losing skid and Rudy Gobert’s absence. Tonight, the 3x Defensive Player of the Year returns to action. With any luck, the result will be a win for the Jazz (28-14).
Not that Gobert won’t have his work cut out for him against the Nuggets (22-19). It’ll be a challenge for him to focus on rim protection when he’ll be reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic’s primary assignment.
Beyond the prodigiously talented big man, the Nuggets have gotten quality play from unexpected contributors like Jeff Green and Bones Hyland over a two-game winning steak.
A win for the Jazz tonight could put this team back on the track towards NBA championship contention. It will not come easily.
Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets Odds Tonight
According to WynnBet, the Jazz are 5 point favorites to walk away with a win tonight, and -210 point favorites on the money line. The Nuggets are +170 point money line underdogs.
The over/under is presently set at 223.0 points.
Utah Jazz Starting Lineup
The city of Salt Lake City may breathe a collective sigh of relief so heavily that Jazz fans across the world feel it. Quin Snyder can most likely look to his usual starting group of Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert for tonight’s game.
Utah Jazz Injury Report
Udoka Azubuike (conditioning) is listed as questionable for this contest. Otherwise, the Jazz should enjoy a full bill of health.
Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets Prediction
A prediction for a Utah Jazz win tonight is a vote of confidence for Rudy Gobert’s significance. The Jazz have been unable to deliver a win in his absence. They’ll finally resume executing their normal defensive scheme, and enjoy his vertical spacing underneath the basket.
Hopefully, he’s in peak game shape. It’s entirely possible that he’ll have rust to shake off. Meanwhile, these Nuggets are not to be taken lightly. Nikola Jokic poses a challenge to any NBA team on any given night of competition.
We’re still making that vote of confidence. The impact of defensive players like Gobert can often go understated. Hassan Whiteside, while one of the best backup big men in the NBA, could never have been expected to replicate Gobert’s unique abilities.
Tonight, he won’t have to. We’ve got a feeling it’s going to make a world of difference.
Prediction: Jazz 118, Nuggets 113
Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets TV Channel
Nuggets fans can tune into Altitude to catch this game locally. Meanwhile, fans in Utah can catch it on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
Utah Jazz Schedule and Next Game
After this game, the Nuggets get a night off before traveling to LA for a contest with the struggling Lakers. They’ll host the lottery bound Houston Rockets after that on the 19th.
Ranking every season in Jazz history. dark. Next
A streak of winnable games continues after that as they host the Detroit Pistons on January 21. Things get a little more challenging after that, as they play the Golden State Warriors on January 23, and the Phoenix Suns on the 24th.