76ers vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, Jan. 21

The Denver Nuggets are massive favorites on Tuesday night against the reeling Philadelphia 76ers, who will once again be without Joel Embiid.

Embiid is dealing with swelling in his knee, and he’s not the only important Sixers player on the injury report.

Andre Drummond, Paul George and Guerschon Yabusele are all listed as questionable on Tuesday while KJ Martin, Caleb Martin, Jared McCain and Kyle Lowry are all out.

That’s going to be an issue for Philly, who has already dropped six games in a row heading into Tuesday’s matchup. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have won seven of their last 10 games and are now two games up on the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 4 seed in the West.

With Aaron Gordon back in the lineup from calf strain, the Nuggets are poised to make a run in the Western Conference with one of the best offenses in the NBA.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet in the prop market and my prediction for the 76ers-Nuggets matchup tonight.

76ers vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

76ers +13.5 (-112)
Nuggets -13.5 (-108)

Moneyline

76ers: +600
Nuggets: -900

Total

229.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

76ers vs. Nuggets How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 21
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena
How to Watch (TV): TNT/truTV/Max
76ers record: 15-26
Nuggets record: 26-16

76ers vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

76ers Injury Report

Joel Embiid – out
Andre Drummond – questionable
Paul George – questionable
Jared McCain – out
Guerschon Yabusele – questionable
Caleb Martin – out
KJ Martin – out
Kyle Lowry – out

Nuggets Injury Report

Jamal Murray – probable
Peyton Watson – probable
Trey Alexander – out
Vlatko Cancar – out
DaRon Holmes II – out
Spencer Jones – out

76ers vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets Today

Philadelphia 76ers Best NBA Prop Bet

Tyrese Maxey OVER 6.5 Assists (-115)

The entire Philly offense should run through Maxey on Tuesday night – even if George plays – and that’s a good sign for his assists prop against Denver.

The Nuggets rank dead last in the NBA in opponent assists per game this season (29.3), and Maxey has at least seven dimes in five of his last 10 games, averaging 6.9 assists per game over that stretch.

The point guard position is averaging over 10 assists per game against the Nuggets in the 2024-25 campaign, so Maxey should be in line for a big game moving the ball on Tuesday.

Denver Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

Nikola Jokic OVER 12.5 Rebounds (-125)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Nikola Jokic is an absolute steal at his current rebound prop:

So far this season, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is averaging 13.2 rebounds on 21.9 rebound chances per game.

He now has a great matchup against Philly with three of its top bigs (Embiid, Drummond and Yabusele) all on the injury report on Tuesday night.

Jokic has cleared 12.5 rebounds (his prop tonight) in nine of his last 14 games, averaging 13.5 rebounds per game over that stretch. Philly also ranks dead last in the NBA in rebounding percentage, so I’m expecting plenty of uncontested boards for the Nuggets star.

76ers vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

No matter how you feel about the Sixers this season, it’s nearly impossible to trust them at this moment given all of their injuries – and their poor play on the road.

With Embiid out and Paul George, Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele questionable, the Sixers have too many questions in their rotation for me to back them even as a double-digit dog on Tuesday night.

Denver enters this game with the No. 4 in the offense in the NBA, a significant advantage over the 76ers and their No. 24 offense. Not only that, but Denver is a respectable 7-7-1 against the spread when favored at home this season.

The same cannot be said for the Sixers as road underdogs. Philly is just 3-9-1 against the spread in that spot this season – the second-worst mark in the NBA. On top of that, the Sixers have posted an average scoring margin of -11.1 points per game in those matchups.

Denver should easily win this matchup with no major players listed on the injury report outside of Jamal Murray (who is probable). Philadelphia also has won just two of its 13 games as a road underdog all season.

Pick: Nuggets -13.5 (-108)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.