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The Northwest has been the most mediocre division in the NBA at the outset of the season and both the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz have their sights set on reaching the top spot. Unfortunately, both clubs will have to navigate through a Holiday stretch without their best players, which could significantly impact their ability to win enough games. When Gordon Hayward bailed for Boston as a free agent, the Jazz lost the face of the franchise. Rudy Gobert assumed the role and has been out with a knee injury. Paul Millsap’s veteran presence was going to help the young Nuggets in a quest for a postseason bid, but he’ll be out for a few months with a wrist injury.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from Vivint Smart Home Arena at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN. We’ll have NBA opening odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
A finalist for Defensive Player of the Year last season, Gobert anchored the league’s top defensive unit. Without him, the Jazz haven’t been nearly as imposing and have used an improved offense to offset the loss. The Jazz have allowed an average of 102.4 points per game since Gobert went down, nearly four points per game higher than when the Stifle Tower was in the lineup. That’s resulted in some higher scoring games with the over at 5-3 in the eight games with Gobert on the shelf.
Injury Report
Utah’s usual stingy defense has been compromised without Gobert and he’s likely out a few more weeks dealing with a bone bruise in his knee. The Jazz are staying afloat in what has turned out to be a middling division, going 4-4 SU and ATS without Gobert in the lineup. But Utah is a better team with the big fella, though they have become more of a force on the offensive end of the floor.
And that’s something the club can lean on once Gobert returns. Behind 18 three-pointers, the Jazz scored a season-high in a 121-108 victory over the Bucks, giving them two straight wins and victories in three of their last four. After some early season struggles from behind the arc, the Jazz have picked it up a bit and are the eighth-best three-point shooting team in the league.
The Nuggets are dealing with their own injury concerns after Millsap was lost with a wrist injury. Brought in to be a stabilizing force on a roster loaded with young talent, Millsap was proving his worth. He was averaging 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while playing nearly 30 minutes per contest. The good news is that Denver has plenty of players at the power forward spot, but they can’t replace the on-court leadership that’ll be lost with Millsap out.
Player To Watch
Teams have taken advantage of Utah’s interior defense without Gobert and that will be the case with Nikola Jokic, who has evolved into a stud for the Nuggets. Jokic tallied 28 points and 13 rebounds in Denver’s win over Memphis for his sixth double-double in the last nine games. He’s gunning for the team’s triple-crown, leading the Nuggets in scoring, rebounding and assists. Going against Gobert in the season opener, Jokic scored just seven points, but his 12 boards and seven assists helped the Nuggets get a 10-point victory. He should have a big night being uncontested in the middle on Tuesday.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Utah hasn’t fallen off the NBA landscape since Gobert was shelved a few weeks ago with a bum knee. And we’ve seen them re-invent themselves into a team that runs, shoots threes and can score. Quin Snyder has done a nice job with his roster that’s missing its two key pieces from last season’s 51-win, division championship team. Rookie Donovan Mitchell is leading the offensive onslaught after scoring 24 points and the Jazz hit 18 threes in a win over Milwaukee.
Historically a strong team on its own floor, the Jazz have stumbled a bit this season and the Nuggets have a plethora of talent to work the paint that Utah will have a hard time containing. Even with Millsap out, the Nuggets will lean on Jokic, who should supply the difference while Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay negate Mitchell and Ricky Rubio in the backcourt, getting the Nuggets a road victory.
NBA Odds: Nuggets 112, Jazz 108
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