The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets wrap up the NBA Christmas slate with a Western Conference showdown on national television. This matchup has the potential to be the most entertaining NBA game on Christmas Day. We have our Suns vs. Nuggets predictions and best bets for the nightcap on Sunday night.
The Suns are going to be without Devin Booker and Cameron Payne on Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. They are at home Friday for a marquee showdown with the Grizzlies in town. While Booker is missing for that matchup, the Suns hope to have him back for Christmas.
The 10 TEAMS of #NBAXmas!
Games all Christmas Day on ABC and ESPN, starting at noon ET 🎄 pic.twitter.com/efTL9NkgKu
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2022
via@NBA
That is the plan for the Suns. They are going to need Booker on the floor if this is going to be a competitive game against the high-powered Nuggets. The Nuggets can pull away in a hurry if the Suns do not have a response on Christmas night.
Going into the Friday game against the Grizzlies, the Suns have won three of their previous four outings. However, they are losers in six of their last nine attempts. In their latest outing, the Suns collapsed in a 113-110 loss to the Washington Wizards.
Deandre Ayton poured in 30 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not enough to get past the Wizards. Booker likely would have titled the game in their favor. That could be the case against the Nuggets if he starts on Sunday.
Head below for our best Suns vs. Nuggets betting pick and best bets on Christmas Day.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Live Betting Odds:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Suns | +3.5 (-110) | OFF | Over 230.5 (-110) |
| Denver Nuggets | -3.5 (-110) | OFF | Under 230.5 (-110) |
| Team Data | Phoenix Suns | Denver Nuggets |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 19-13 | 19-11 |
| ATS Record | 17-15-0 | 13-17-0 |
| Away/Home Record | 5-9 | 10-3 |
| ATS Away/Home | 6-8-0 | 7-6-0 |
| Points Per Game | 115.7 | 115.4 |
| Points Against Per Game | 110.7 | 114.0 |
| Field Goal % | 47.1 | 50.3 |
| Three Point % | 37.9 | 38.7% |
Suns vs. Nuggets Predictions
The Nuggets are in a tie for the best record in the Western Conference. They are at 19-11 with the Grizzlies. The Pelicans are a half-game behind the Suns and Nuggets for top honors in the West.
Phoenix is only 19-13 on the season, but that’s just a game behind the Nuggets. This has not been a great season for the West so far in the 2022-23 campaign. The Suns and Nuggets are two teams that could represent the West in the NBA Finals.
The Nuggets are coming off back-to-back wins against the Charlotte Hornets, 119-115, and the Grizzlies, 105-91. That was a textbook win for the Nuggets in a game they did not need their powerful offense to come up big.
Nuggets Dangerous At Ball Arena
This has been a very good home team this season. The Nuggets are 9-8 on the road and 10-3 at home in 2022-23. The offense has been firing well no matter the floor, but the defense has been in much better form at home.
Overall, Denver is 17th with 114 points against per game. They’ve yielded a field goal percentage of 48.7%. However, at Ball Arena in Denver, the Nuggets have allowed 108.2 points per game on 46% shooting.
The Nuggets are second in the league with a team field goal percentage of 50.3% and a 38.7% three-point percentage. They have been on fire, with 117.7 points per game and a 51.3% field goal percentage at home.
Most APG by a Center in a season in NBA History
9.0 — Nikola Jokic (This season)
8.6 — Wilt Chamberlian
8.3 — Nikola Jokic
7.9 — Nikola JokicJokic has 5 of the top 10 seasons. @NBAMuse24 pic.twitter.com/02yIq0lPSx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 22, 2022
via@statmuse
The battle between Deandre Ayton and Nikola Jokic is going to loom huge in this one. Jokic should ultimately be too much for Ayton to contain on Christmas. The Serb has scored 24.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game.
Suns’ Offense Out of Sorts Without Devin Booker
In their last five outings, the Suns are shooting just 43.8% from the field. They have put in an average of 113.2 points per game during this stretch. Booker played in a 111-95 win over the Clippers and 118-114 over the Pelicans, but was absent for three of their previous five tilts.
58 points and every single bucket was absolute beauty.
Devin Booker is a pure hooper. pic.twitter.com/COnqB56lqB
— Suns Are Better (@SunsAreBetter) December 18, 2022
via@SunsAreBetter
Beating up on the Lakers was not unexpected. They did not need a healthy Booker to pound a bad Lakers’ defense for 130 points. However, that is not going to be the case on the road against the Nuggets.
Overall, the Suns are 15th in the NBA with a team field goal percentage of 47.1%. Their field goal percentage drops to 46.3% on the road. The biggest concern for the Suns in this one has to be their perimeter defense against the Nuggets’ shooters, though.
Suns vs. Nuggets Betting Pick:
Phoenix is not at their best defending around the three-point line. The opposition is shooting 36.7% from three against the Suns. That is the 24th-worst three-point defense in the league.
Conversely, the Nuggets are hot from three, with a 38.7% three-point for second-best in the NBA. In their last five outings, the Nuggets are connecting at a 51.5% clip from the field overall. We are backing the Nuggets to win and cover at home.
For our Suns vs. Nuggets prediction, TheSportsGeek is projecting a final score of 119-112.
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