Jazz vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Monday, Dec. 22

Denver is heavily favored at home on Monday.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is a great prop target on Monday. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets fell to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, dropping to 20-7 in the 2025-26 season, but they have a great bounce-back opportunity on Monday against the Utah Jazz.

Utah is 10-17 this season, but it has struggled mightily on the road (3-8), posting a net rating of -12.6, the second-worst mark in the NBA.

That sets up well for Denver, which has the No. 1 offensive rating in the NBA. The Nuggets are just 8-5 at home, but they have still posted an average scoring margin of +7.2 in those games. 

Even with Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon still sidelined, the Nuggets are heavily favored at home in this matchup. 

This is the first meeting between these division rivals, but Denver swept the season series in the 2024-25 campaign and has won the last six meetings between the two franchises.

Here’s a breakdown of the latest odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Northwest Division battle. 

Jazz vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Jazz +13.5 (-115)
• Nuggets -13.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Jazz: +575
• Nuggets: -850

Total

• 248.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Jazz vs. Nuggets How to Watch

• Date: Monday, Dec. 22
• Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Ball Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Altitude, KJZZ
• Jazz record: 10-17
• Nuggets record: 20-7

Jazz vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

Jazz Injury Report

• Elijah Harkless – out
• Lauri Markkanen – questionable
• Walker Kessler – out
• John Tonje – out
• Oscar Tshiebwe – out
• Kevin Love – out
• Georges Niang – out

Nuggets Injury Report

• Aaron Gordon – out
• Christian Braun – out
• Peyton Watson – questionable
• Tamar Bates – out
• DaRon Holmes II – out
• Curtis Jones – out

Jazz vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets

Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

• Nikola Jokic OVER 10.5 Assists (-127)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m taking Jokic to clear this assists prop: 

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is averaging 10.7 assists per game heading into Monday’s matchup with the Jazz, and he’s in a great spot to clear that average. 

The Jazz are dead last in the NBA in defensive rating and dead last in opponent assists per game this season, allowing 29.6 opponent assists per night. 

Jokic is averaging a whopping 18.0 potential assists per game this season, so he certainly can reach 11 or more dimes with relative ease. The Nuggets have won six games in a row against the Jazz dating back to the 2023-24 season, and I think Jokic is in line for a major triple-double on Monday. 

Jazz vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

The Nuggets are just 8-5 in the 2025-26 season at home, but they have a great matchup against a Jazz team that is 3-8 on the road and potentially down Lauri Markkanen (questionable) on Monday night.

Utah has a road net rating of -12.6, which is the second-worst mark in the NBA this season. 

Meanwhile, Denver is still 7-6 against the spread at home this season, winning those games by an average margin of +7.2 points per game. That may not seem like enough to cover in this spot, but the Utah defense (dead last in defensive rating) is going to be hopeless against a Denver offense that is No. 1 in the league in offensive rating. 

After losing to the Rockets in their last game, I think the Nuggets bounce back in a big way on Monday night. 

Pick: Nuggets -13.5 (-105 at DraftKings)

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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.

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