The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets begin a home-and-home series on Monday at altitude.
The pregame narrative: Denver is playing on a back-to-back but Phoenix is missing Devin Booker. I expect the Nuggets to win and am taking prop bets on Bradley Beal and Nikola Jokic to round out this +390 wager.
Check out my Suns vs. Nuggets same-game parlay predictions for Dec. 23.
Suns vs. Nuggets predictions
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Parlay: Nuggets moneyline + Jokic over 1.5 threes + Beal over 19.5 points (+390)
Nuggets moneyline (-190): Denver just went to overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans and will be tired tonight but I can’t look past the absence of Booker.
The four-time All-Star was averaging 25.1 points per game and Phoenix just lost to the lowly Detroit Pistons in his first game out.
Things haven’t been going well for the Suns in general, though.
- 2-5 record in the last seven games
- League-worst 9-18 ATS
- 2-5 ATS as a road underdog
The Nuggets are 3-1 ATS on no rest this season and should be able to pick up a win against a shorthanded opponent.
SGP legs
Jokic over 1.5 threes (-145): This bet is becoming an autoplay for me, especially in a same-game parlay format where the juice is mitigated.
Jokic is averaging a career-best 30.9 points per game while shooting a clinical 50.5% from beyond the arc. Just when you thought the three-time MVP couldn’t get any better, he did.
- Jokic has made 2+ threes in 17/23 games this year.
- He’s 12-2 against this line in his last 14 games.
Phoenix has the 26th-ranked 3-point defence (37.3%) and gives up the seventh-most 3s per game (13.9). This should be a good spot for Jokic to stay hot.
Beal over 19.5 points (-125): I was looking long and hard at Kevin Durant’s 29.5-point total but will side with Beal instead.
The shooting guard is on a nice run of form since returning from an injury on Nov. 26. He’s averaging 18.6 points on 53.5% shooting in eight games and has scored at least 15 points seven times.
Beal’s floor as a scorer is predictable and he will be taking way more shots without Booker, — who averages 18.2 FGA per game — sidelined.
He has cleared this number in five of his last six games without Booker and scored 26 points without the superstar on Saturday night.
The Nuggets also allow the third-most points per game to shooting guards, according to Fantasy Pros.
Picks made at 11:25 a.m. on 12/23/24.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.