Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction, 12/27/2024 Preview and Pick

Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets

Date: Friday, December 27, 2024

Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO

TV: Altitude

The Denver Nuggets (15-11) host the Cleveland Cavaliers (25-4) at Ball Arena on Friday.

The Cavaliers played the 76ers and walked away with a win by a score of 126-99 in their last contest. Concerning personal fouls, the Cavaliers left the arena with 18 while the 76ers recorded 16 personal fouls. They buried 11 out of their 34 shots from beyond the arc. Philadelphia ended up shooting 74.1% at the free throw line by knocking down 20 of their 27 attempts. Furthermore, Philadelphia grabbed 41 rebounds (11 offensive, 30 defensive) and got 1 block. Philadelphia dished out 13 assists and had 7 steals in this matchup. In reference to defense, Cleveland allowed the other team to go 40.0% from the field on 34 out of 85 shooting. They also recorded 31 assists in the game as well as creating 13 turnovers and having 8 steals. When it comes to hauling in boards, they earned 49 with 13 of them being of the offensive variety. At the charity stripe, the Cavaliers made 8 of their 15 shots for a rate of 53.3%. Cleveland finished the game with a 53.3% FG percentage (48 of 90) and converted 22 out of their 43 3-point attempts.

Darius Garland is someone who was a major factor for the matchup. Garland finished 81.8% from the field and also dished out 4 assists. He was on the court for 26 mins played and also collected 5 rebounds. He was able to score 26 points on 9 of 11 shooting.

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Cleveland will enter this matchup with a mark of 25-4 on the year. They are turning it over 13.4 times per game and as a group are committing 18.1 personal fouls per game. As a unit, Cleveland is snagging 43.7 rebounds per game and has accumulated 823 dimes so far this year, which is 5th in the league in terms of passing the rock. The Cavaliers are hitting 40.5% on shots from 3-point land (462 of 1,142) and 77.5% from the free throw line. They average 121.7 points per game (2nd in the NBA) while going 50.5% from the floor.

Defensively, the Cavaliers are forcing 15.9 turnovers per contest and they draw 19.0 fouls. They are giving up 36.9% from beyond the arc while they are 9th in basketball in points per game allowed (110.1). The Cavaliers defense is allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 45.4% (1,162 of 2,562) and they surrender 43.3 boards per contest as a unit. They are currently ranked 14th in the league in allowing assists with 721 surrendered on the season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Nuggets walked away with a victory by a final of 132-129 when they faced the Pelicans. When it comes to attacking the glass, Denver allowed New Orleans to grab 43 in all (9 on the offensive side). They shot 30.0% from distance by shooting 12 out of 40 and ended up shooting 17 out of 23 at the charity stripe (73.9%). The Nuggets permitted the Pelicans to convert 50 out of their 108 tries from the field which left them with a rate of 46.3% in this game. When the game finished, the Nuggets finished 49 out of 97 from the floor which had them at 50.5%. When it comes to 3-point shots, Denver converted 10 out of their 33 attempts (30.3%). They were able to knock down 24 of the free throws for a rate of 75.0%. The Pelicans had 23 personal fouls for the matchup which got the Nuggets to the charity stripe for a total of 32 attempts. They turned it over 22 times, while getting 10 steals in this contest. The Nuggets were able to pull down 40 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive boards for a total of 54 in this matchup.

Nikola Jokic ended up being a major contributor for the Nuggets in this contest. Jokic scored 27 points in his 43 mins on the hardwood and accounted for 10 dimes in this game. He buried 11 of 20 in the matchup for a rate of 55.0%, and had 13 rebounds.

Denver has a mark of 15-11 for the year. As an offense, the Nuggets are hitting on 49.7% from the field, which ranks 2nd in the league. Denver has scored 3,117 pts on the season (119.9 per game) and they average 45.2 boards per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 31.1 times per game (1st in the league) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 15.0 times per game. The Nuggets are committing 18.5 fouls per contest and they connect on 75.2% from the free throw line.

The Denver defense gives up 35.6% on 3-point shots (362 of 1,017) and opponents are converting on 76.2% of their free throw shots. They surrender 29.8 dimes and 43.8 boards per contest, which is 30th and 16th in the league. The Nuggets on defense are ranked 26th in basketball in points per game surrendered with 117.3. They are able to force 14.8 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 46.7% from the floor (17th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Denver

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