The Denver Nuggets (1-0) will hope to grab another important win early in the season when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies (0-1) Friday evening. These were the top two teams in the West during the regular season a year ago, with Denver winning two of the three meetings during the 2022-23 campaign.
The Nuggets have all their key players in the lineup for this contest. The Grizzlies were already down most of their big men and Ja Morant remains suspended, but Luke Kennard is also out after suffering a concussion in the season opener.
The Nuggets are 6-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total coming in at 221.5. Denver is -218 on the moneyline while Memphis is +180.
Nuggets vs. Grizzlies, 7 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Nuggets -6
The reigning champions looked like a well-oiled machine at home in the season opener, dismantling the Lakers behind a massive performance from Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. Denver’s secondary players made enough contributions in key moments to support the big man, who looks set to put up MVP-like numbers once again. The Grizzlies were competitive in their opener against New Orleans, but this is a different beast. Memphis is simply down too many players against this particular opponent to cover. Take the Nuggets to cover Friday.
Over/Under: Over 221.5
There’s some potential for this to be a blowout for the Nuggets, who would then coast at the end of the contest. However, the Grizzlies have been able to remain relatively competitive even with their personnel shortages. I expect Memphis to fall behind for stretches before ultimately making the runs to keep the score close, with the Nuggets having one final surge to secure a victory. That should put Denver’s best players on the floor enough for the over to hit.