The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors will do battle on Wednesday night on ESPN. Golden State won the only meeting between these two so far this year. After a mediocre start, the Warriors have won 11 of their last 12 games overall. Denver sits only one game above .500 on the season, but the Nuggets have won five of their last six games overall. There’s always a lot on the line when these two teams square off.

Nuggets at Warriors Betting Story Lines

There is definitely no shortage of story lines when these two teams meet. The Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors were never really rivals in the past, but this past playoff series followed by their offseason likely changed that. Denver had the best record in their history last year, but it was the Golden State Warriors who upset them in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Many thought it was the Nuggets who had a chance to do some damage in the playoffs, but the Warriors stole the show. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson scorched the nets, including a record-breaking performance in their Game 2 win in Denver during the playoffs. Golden State shot 64.6 percent from the floor in that game. That was the game that set the tone for the rest of the series.

The Warriors upsetting the Nuggets in the playoffs was just the beginning of the story between these two teams. During the offseason, Andre Iguodala went on a whirlwind for a few weeks before eventually landing in Golden State. The Warriors traded away Richard Jefferson, Andres Biedrins, and Brandon Rush to make room for Iguodala. By itself, a player the caliber of Iguodala switching over to a rival would be enough to upset Denver fans, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Remember during last year’s playoff series between these teams when Warriors coach Mark Jackson accused the Nuggets of playing dirty? It was the biggest story of the series, and it got even bigger during the offseason. Jackson claimed he had inside source, or a mole, that the Nuggets were purposely playing dirty. Fast forward to the Nuggets parting ways with George Karl, and then the drama gets even more intense. When asked about the series with the Warriors, Karl said he was confident that Iguodala was the mole from that series. How sure was he? Karl said he had “no question” that the mole was Iguodala. When questioned, Igudoala said, “It’s kind of out of sight, out of mind, I’m in a different place now.” Got all of that? There are plenty of reasons for the Nuggets and Warriors to not like each other very much right now!

Denver has played better recently, but the Nuggets have definitely disappointed overall this year. They have been playing faster again of late after starting the season out playing at a much slower pace than last year. Injuries have definitely slowed down this team a great deal so far this year.

The Warriors have largely avoided injury issues, and they are playing their best basketball of the season right now. Golden State likes to run and push the tempo, but they are at their best when they are playing great half-court defense. Opponents are shooting just 43 percent from the floor against the Warriors so far this year.

Nuggets at Warriors NBA Betting Odds and Key Trends

Oddsmakers have installed the Warriors as a seven-point home favorite in this one. The posted total is set at 214 points. Denver is 1-5 against the spread in their last six road games. The Nuggets are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. the Western Conference. Golden State is just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games. The Nuggets are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games against the Warriors. The “over” is 20-7 in the last 27 meetings between these two in Golden State.

Free NBA Picks: Nuggets at Warriors Betting Predictions

While the Nuggets have been playing better of late, I don’t like the fact that they are still searching for an identity. After playing 37 games, the Nuggets are still looking for the right lineup and for the right tempo. The Warriors have fully established the way they want to play, and they are in a very nice rhythm right now. Golden State hasn’t been covering the number at home of late, but past history tells us this Warriors team is fully capable of blowing out opponents on their home floor. It’s hard to see any area where the Nuggets have an edge in this matchup. Look for Golden State to win and cover here.

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