Warriors vs Nuggets Christmas Day Prediction & Player Prop Picks: Threes for Curry, Boards for Murray, and Dimes for Jackson

After a so-so start to the NBA season, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are heating up and making a move up the standings. However, they will face quite the challenge to extend their five-game win streak. In the second of today’s five Christmas Day contests, the Warriors will meet Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets (2:30 pm ET, ABC/ESPN) at Ball Arena.

After opening the season with six wins in their first eight games, Golden State (15-14, 6-8 away) then dropped 12 of 16. After a 121-113 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers 11 days ago, the Warriors were four games below .500.

Since then, the Dubs have picked up five straight wins, and Saturday’s 126-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers put them over .500 for the first time in well over a month.

Bet NBA Christmas Day Games at Bovada and Get a 75% Welcome Bonus

Picks in this piece are courtesy of Bovada, where you can get great odds on all of the top NBA & college basketball matchups every day. Currently, they are offering a 75% welcome bonus for players who make their first deposit via cryptocurrency.

After taking care of business against one of the worst teams in the league, the Warriors will have to see off the reigning NBA champions to keep their good run rolling.

That would be a tough task even at the Chase Center in San Francisco, but it will be even tougher in Denver, where the Nuggets (21-10, 11-2 home) have been outstanding thus far this season. Also, the champs are coming in hot themselves, having won four straight and seven of eight.

Warriors vs Nuggets Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our Bovada review.

Spread

• Golden State Warriors +7.5 (-110)
• Denver Nuggets -7.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 235 (-110)
• Under 235 (-110)

Moneyline

• Golden State Warriors +250
• Denver Nuggets -300

Warriors vs Nuggets Prediction

While the Nuggets have gotten off to a fine start in the first two months of the NBA season, the bigger chunk of that success has come against inferior opposition.

Against the poorer teams in the league, Denver has fared rather well, to say the least. In 12 games against teams who are currently .500 or worse, the Nuggets are 12-0 SU and 8-4 ATS.

But against teams that are currently over .500, the numbers are a little less eye-catching. In 19 such games, Denver is just 9-10 SU and 6-13 ATS.

However, it is worth noting that most of those losses are on the road. In home games against teams currently over .500, the Nuggets are 7-2 SU and 4-5 ATS, with the only SU losses coming against the Houston Rockets on December 8 (114-106 L) and Oklahoma City Thunder (118-117 L) nine days ago.

Also, while the Warriors are 7-3 ATS in road games against teams who are currently over .500, they are 0-6 SU in their last six such games, even though they have covered in all but one.

The Dubs may well cover today, but all signs point to the Nuggets taking the win to extend their run to five straight victories overall and five straight over the Warriors.

Best Player Prop Bets for Warriors vs Nuggets

All player prop odds listed below are courtesy of Bovada.

Stephen Curry Over 4.5 Made Threes (-125)

Curry was only 2 of 7 from three in Saturday’s win in Portland, but he should connect a few more times against the Nuggets, even though Denver is eighth in the NBA in defending the three (35.6%).

In seven of the previous 11 instances in which Curry made two or fewer threes, he responded with five or more threes in the following game seven times, including both previous instances this season.

After going 1 of 8 from outside in a loss at Phoenix on November 22, he hit seven triples in 14 attempts in a win over the San Antonio Spurs two days later. And after missing all of his three-point attempts against the Trail Blazers eight days ago, he went 6 of 11 from behind the line to help the Warriors upend the Boston Celtics in overtime two days later.

Jamal Murray Over 3.5 Rebounds (-145)

Murray is averaging 3.9 rebounds per game in 17 games this season, but he has been more active on the boards in recent weeks.

In his first seven games this season, Murray averaged 2.6 rebounds per game and had four or more rebounds just once.

But in his last ten games, he has averaged 4.9 RPG and snagged four or more boards seven times. And in Saturday’s game against the Hornets, he tied his career high with 12 rebounds, which was just his fifth 10+ rebound game in 427 career regular season games.

Reggie Jackson Over 3.5 Assists (+100)

Jackson will certainly be hoping to be on target more with his shot against the Warriors after struggling in that area in his last three games (27.6% FG and 0 for 11 from three).

But even if his shots don’t fall with frequency again, he should still have a helping hand in the Nuggets’ efforts. He had four assists in Saturday’s win at Charlotte and has hit or exceeded that number nine times in 12 games this month. Also, he has hit or exceeded that number seven times in his last nine home games.

Where to Bet on Warriors vs Nuggets and Other NBA Games

Many of the top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of NBA odds throughout the year.

In addition to being able to bet on 2024 NBA championship odds, you can make daily NBA picks on games all season long, including tonight’s Mavericks vs Spurs matchup in San Antonio.

Also, you can bet on the NBA All-Star Game and the major awards like NBA MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, and more at most reputable sports betting sites.

There are numerous sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for NBA betting. Here are several books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other NBA Content

• Bucks vs Knicks Christmas Day Prediction & Best Player Props
• NBA Scoring Leader Odds
• NBA Betting Guide: How to Bet on the NBA in 2023
• How to Bet on NBA Player Props