Who’s Playing
Denver @ Los Angeles
Current Records: Denver 28-13; Los Angeles 22-21
What to Know
The Los Angeles Clippers haven’t won a game against the Denver Nuggets since Jan. 11 of last year, but they’ll be looking to end the drought Friday. Los Angeles will take on Denver at 10 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena after having had a few days off. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous games.
While not quite a landslide, the matchup between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday was still a pretty decisive one as Los Angeles wrapped it up with a 113-101 win at home. Los Angeles’ small forward Kawhi Leonard was on fire, picking up 33 points in addition to nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, you can’t lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Denver’s strategy against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Nuggets were the clear victors by a 126-97 margin over Phoenix. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Denver had established a 100-75 advantage. Their center Nikola Jokic did his thing and almost dropped a triple-double on 21 points, 18 boards, and nine assists. That makes it three consecutive games in which Jokic has had at least 11 rebounds.
Barring any buzzer beaters, Los Angeles is expected to win a tight contest. Those playing the odds have seen things go back and forth with Los Angeles, who are 21-22 against the spread.
Los Angeles is now 22-21 while the Nuggets sit at 28-13. A pair of offensive stats to keep an eye on: The Clippers are third worst in the league in points per game, with only 109.2 on average. Denver’s offense has more to brag about, as they they rank second in the league when it comes to field goal percentage, with 50.90% on the season.
How To Watch
When: Friday at 10 p.m. ET
Friday at 10 p.m. ET Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California TV: ESPN
ESPN Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) Follow: CBS Sports App
CBS Sports App Ticket Cost: $15.62
Odds
The Clippers are a slight 1.5-point favorite against the Nuggets, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -111
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Denver have won 20 out of their last 33 games against Los Angeles.