The Oklahoma City Thunder (15-8) travel to face off against the Denver Nuggets (17-9) on Saturday, December 16th. This game will be played at Ball Arena. The Nuggets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Thunder are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nets. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Thunder vs Nuggets

The Thunder Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent matchup, the Thunder conveyed a message to the Kings with a score of 128-123. Alonside their straight-up loss, the Thunder failed to cover the spread as +2 point underdogs. The over/under line for this matchup was set at 245 points, and the teams managed to exceed that total.

Over their last ten games, the Thunder are 6-4 and bring a 15-8 overall record into their game against the Nuggets. Against other teams from the Western Conference, the Thunder are 9-7 in 23 games, while going 6-1 in non-conference play.

Oklahoma City currently has an ATS record of 16-7, placing them above .500 against the spread. When playing on the road, the Thunder hold an ATS record of 8-3 in contrast to a 8-4 record against the spread when playing at home.

The Nuggets Are Coming Off A Win

The Nuggets picked up a win over the Nets in their latest game, finishing with a score of 124-101. The Nuggets not only secured a straight-up victory in this game but also covered the spread as -9.5-point favorites. In terms of the over/under, the combined 225 points was below the over/under line of 231.

As of now, the Nuggets have an overall record of 17-9 and are looking to extend their three game winning streak. In Western Conference games, the Nuggets are 12-7 and are 5-2 in non-conference play.

Denver’s ATS record is currently below .500 at 11-14 for the season. This season, Denver has a 10-12 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 1-2 when playing as underdogs.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

The Thunder come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 120.5 points per game (5th). When looking at the Thunder pace of play, they tend to play an up-tempo style of basketball. So far, the team is in the upper half of the NBA in possessions per game, averaging 100.7. Not only does the team maintain an up-tempo playing style, but they have also effectively combined it with one of the better field goal percentages in the NBA, which is 48%.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

The Nuggets come into today’s game as the 14th ranked scoring offense at 114.6 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Nuggets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 96.8 per contest. Although the team tends to play at a more deliberate pace, they are currently one of the more efficient shooting teams, connecting on field goal attempts at a rate of 3rd%.

Thunder Team Defense

So far, the Thunder’s defense is ranked 14th in the league at 113.5 points per contest.

The Thunder defense is coming off a game in which they held the Kings offense to just 43.1% shooting. Overall, they gave up 128 points to Sacramento.

Nuggets Team Defense

The Nuggets’ defense is presently ranked 7th in the league, allowing an average of 110.5 points per contest.

When it comes to forced turnovers, the Nuggets are forcing 11.8 per game, which is 3rd in the league. They also come into the game sitting 15th in blocked shots at 5.3 per game.

Key Players For The Thunder And Nuggets

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the primary point contributor for the Thunder, finishing with 20 points while maintaining a 8/13 shooting accuracy. For the season, he has been averaging 31 points per game, in addition to 5.5 rebounds.

As for Denver, Nikola Jokic is projected to be the primary scorer for the Nuggets. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 19, and adding 8 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 54.1% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 27.2 points per game.

Thunder vs Nuggets Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Oklahoma City has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 116 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• The Nuggets are 3-2 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Thunder have a straight up record of 5-5. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.
• As the betting favorite, the Nuggets have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.

Thunder vs Nuggets Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +5, the Thunder is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 236.5, and our model projects the Thunder and Nuggets to reach a combined total of 220 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.