Nuggets vs. Pistons Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, Feb. 3

The Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham picked up a close win over the Denver Nuggets in late January, but superstar big man Nikola Jokic (knee) did not play in that game.

Now, Jokic is set to suit up – he’s not listed on the team’s injury report on Tuesday – for the second and final regular-season meeting between these two NBA Finals contenders.

As a result, Denver is just a 3.5-point underdog on the road on Tuesday night.

Detroit holds the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and it’s dominated at home this season, going 19-5, including a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Denver is coming off a hard-fought loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, and it remains without Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson while Christian Braun (ankle) is questionable for this matchup.

Can the Nuggets move to 2-1 since Jokic returned to the lineup?

Let’s examine the odds, my favorite prop bet and a prediction for this clash on Feb. 3.

Nuggets vs. Pistons Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Nuggets +3.5 (-108)
Pistons -3.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Nuggets: +145
Pistons: -175

Total

228.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Nuggets vs. Pistons How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 3
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Little Caesars Arena
How to Watch (TV): Altitude, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Nuggets record: 33-17
Pistons record: 36-12

Nuggets vs. Pistons Injury Reports

Nuggets Injury Report

Tamar Bates – out
Christian Braun – questionable
Cameron Johnson – out
Aaron Gordon – out
Curtis Jones – out

Pistons Injury Report

Isaac Jones – out
Bobi Klintman – out
Wendell Moore Jr. – out
Tolu Smith – out
Chaz Lanier – out
Caris LeVert – questionable

Nuggets vs. Pistons Best NBA Prop Bets

Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

Nikola Jokic OVER 24.5 Points (-110)

Even though Jokic hasn't taken a ton of shots in his first two games back in the lineup, he did have 31 points on Friday night in a win over the Clippers.

So, the scoring could be there for the three-time MVP, especially if he finds his way to the free-throw line (Jokic was 13-for-17 from the stripe against L.A.) on Tuesday.

Detroit is a tough matchup, as the team is No. 2 in defensive rating, No. 1 in opponent assists per game and No. 3 in rebound percentage. Since Jokic isn't playing his usual minutes at the moment, I don't love taking some of his secondary stats, especially since he's fallen short of his assists prop in back-to-back games.

However, the Nuggets may need the star center to be more aggressive as a scorer to win this game, and Jokic remains one of the most efficient players in the NBA, shooting 60.9 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from 3.

Nuggets vs. Pistons Prediction and Pick

The Pistons have been great at home this season in terms of their win/loss record, but they are just 10-10 against the spread as home favorites heading into this matchup with the Nuggets.

Denver nearly upset the Pistons without Jokic late last month, and Jamal Murray could have delivered Denver a win had he not missed some clutch free throws down the stretch.

Still, Denver has dominated as a road dog this season (7-1 against the spread), and I’ll welcome any chance to take the Nuggets as dogs when Jokic is playing.

The three-time league MVP played nearly 30 minutes in the loss to OKC, and he should continue to have a bigger role in his return from a knee injury.

Denver has the best offensive rating in the NBA this season, and I think it’ll hang with this Pistons team once again on Tuesday night.

Pick: Nuggets +3.5 (-108 at DraftKings)

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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