Nuggets vs Cavaliers Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Thursday, February 23rd

Check out our free Nuggets vs Cavaliers pick and preview for this NBA game in Cleveland. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Nuggets vs Cavaliers NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers
Where: Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Date: Thursday, February 23rd
Betting Odds CLE -2.5, DEN +115 | CLE -137 O/U 223.0

The Nuggets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 41-18. So far, the team has gone 32-26-1 against the spread. Against the Cavaliers, the Nuggets are going for their 4th straight win, posting an average scoring margin of 9.0 points per game in this stretch.

The Nuggets will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Mavericks by a score of 118-109. Heading into the game, they were 6 point favorites against the spread, giving them an ATS win. Denver was able to take care of business in the second half of this game, as they didn’t allow the Mavericks to cut into their 17 point halftime lead. Leading the team in scoring was Jeff Green, as he contributed 24 points while hitting 68.8% of his shots.

The Cavaliers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 38-23. So far, the team has gone 34-26-1 against the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 2-1. Cleveland is 1-2 vs the spread in these matchups.

Not only did the Cavaliers drop their last game to the 76ers. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 118-112 as 2 point underdogs. In the loss, Cleveland got off to a slow start, trailing by 25 points going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Donovan Mitchell, as he contributed 33 points while hitting 45.8% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Nuggets picked up the 121-108 win over the Cavaliers. The Nuggets point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 5.0 point favorite. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. Last year, the Nuggets saw a drop in overall scoring when playing the Cavaliers, averaging 101.5 points per game. While the Nuggets struggled on offense in the series, the Cavaliers maintained their usual level of scoring at 109.0 vs Denver. In terms of betting, Denver has an ATS record of 3-2 in the previous 5 matchups vs Cleveland. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +11 points per game in favor of the Nuggets. The over-under record in these same games is 3-2, with the teams combining for an average of 219 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Coming into today’s action, Denver is averaging 117.1 points per contest. This figure places them 6th in the league. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Nuggets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.4 per contest. However, they have been able to make up for this slow style of place by scoring with a high rate of efficiency. This season, they are ranked 2nd in made field goals per game.

Currently, the Nuggets defense is ranked 14th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 110.41 points per game vs the unit.

Before getting a bet down on this matchup, be sure to check in on the health status of Jamal Murray who is 2nd on the team in scoring at 20.2 points per game. At the time of this article, Murray is listed as questionable. For the season, he is 2nd on the team in usage rate and is 71st in the NBA in player efficiency rating. If he is able to play, Denver benefit from having both of their top scorers as Nikola Jokic leads the team and is 24th in the league in scoring (24.7). For today’s matchup, he will going against a defense ranked 5th in points allowed to centers.

For the season, the Cavaliers offensive unit is ranked just 26th in scoring at 111.8 points per contest. Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.4 made 3’s per game. Not only is the Cleveland offense struggling with their outside shot, but they are also getting to the charity stripe at a below average rate. So far, they are the 22nd ranked team in made free-throws per contest.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Cavaliers are giving up an average of 105.67 points per game, good for 5th in the NBA.

On offense, Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring at 27.3 points per game, placing him 11th in the NBA. Overall, Mitchell has hit 47.9% of his shots while accounting for 23.5% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 14th in points allowed to shooting guards. At 21.7 points per game, Darius Garland is the 2nd leading scorer for the Cavaliers. For the season, he is 70th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 46.8%.