The Denver Nuggets got their preseason underway over the weekend, losing to their Western Conference rivals, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now they’ll face another team kicking off their preseason, the Toronto Raptors. It’s an intriguing intra-conference matchup full of star talent.
The Raptors are set as two-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re priced at -125 on the Moneyline, while the Nuggets are +105 underdogs. The total for this game is set at 224.5 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction, and pick for this Nuggets vs. Raptors preseason game.
Raptors vs. Nuggets prediction, preview
Denver’s rotation in the first game of the preseason was interesting, to say the least. Here’s a list of players to get at least 12 minutes of action: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Zeke Nnaji, Hunter Tyson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, Peyton Watson, Jonas Valanciunas, Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, and Curtis Jones. That’s 14 different players getting at least a quarter’s worth of play. It’s anyone’s guess how the rotation will shake out tonight, especially with a clean injury report.
The Raptors, also completely healthy, are a similar mystery. How much do we see out of Brandon Ingram in his team debut? Will injury risk Immanuel Quickley get decent run? Is head coach Darko Rajakovic going to get a long look at his rookies, like Collin Murray-Boyles? After popping at Summer League, you’d figure they are trying to gauge his rotation readiness.
Raptors vs. Nuggets pick, best bet
Depth is king in the NBA Preseason. When you’re giving your entire roster some run, the 15th man can make as much of a difference as your top guy. That lack of depth at 11-15 burned the Nuggets in their first preseason game. The Raptors may have problems with their top-end talent, but the depth is beyond reproach in the context of a preseason game.
The presumed starting group of Quickley, RJ Barrett, Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl will get some burn. They’ll give way to Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, Murray-Boyles, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jonathan Mogbo, Ochai Agbaji, and a few other NBA-level talents. Garrett Temple might even get in the game.
Denver’s starters should mop the floor with Toronto’s first five. But once the starters have taken their rest, Toronto’s superior deep bench will carry the day.
