Nuggets vs. Warriors Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Friday, April 4

A potential first-round playoff preview takes place at Chase Center on Friday night.

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, fresh off of a win against the Los Angeles Lakers, host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a massive game for both teams.

Denver has slipped in the standings, dropping six of its last 10 matchups, including two straight. While the Nuggets still have the best player in the world, they could make their playoff path much tougher depending upon where they finish in the standings.

Meanwhile, Golden State is 20-4 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup, pushing it from a fringe play-in team to a bonafide title contender.

Oddsmakers have set the Warriors as favorites in this game, but the spread is just one point.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this Western Conference showdown.

Nuggets vs. Warriors Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Nuggets +1 (-115)
Warriors -1 (-105)

Moneyline

Nuggets: -105
Warriors: -115

Total

235.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Nuggets vs. Warriors How to Watch

Date: Friday, April 4
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Chase Center
How to Watch (TV): NBA TV
Nuggets record: 47-30
Warriors record: 45-31

Nuggets vs. Warriors Injury Reports

Nuggets Injury Report

Christian Braun – probable
Aaron Gordon – probable
DaRon Holmes II – out
Nikola Jokic – probable
Jamal Murray – questionable
Julian Strawther – questionable
Peyton Watson – questionable

Warriors Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Nuggets vs. Warriors Best NBA Prop Bets

Denver Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

Nikola Jokic OVER 27.5 Points (-120)

Earlier today, I shared my favorite prop for Jokic in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points:

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic had a 61-point triple-double before sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and I think he could be in line for a huge game tonight against the Golden State Warriors.

Jokic had dominated Golden State over the last few seasons, dropping 30 or more points in seven of his last 10 matchups against it. The Warriors haven’t beaten the Nuggets since the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and Jokic is a major reason why.

This season, Jokic is averaging 29.7 points per game, and he dropped 38 on Golden State in his lone matchup against it. I expect him to score at a high level again – especially if Jamal Murray (questionable) sits tonight.

Nuggets vs. Warriors Prediction and Pick

Golden State is just 1.5 games back of the Nuggets in the standings, but it has not beaten Denver in a game since the 2021-22 season. That’s right, Denver has won nine games in a row when it comes to this matchup.

I’m intrigued to see how these teams match up on Friday, especially if the Warriors have all of their players in action on the second night of a back-to-back.

On the Denver side, Jamal Murray’s status will be worth monitoring before betting on this game.

Oddsmakers seem to think that Denver has an edge regardless, setting this game at nearly a pick’em, but I am not sold on either side without complete clarity in the injury department.

Instead, I’m leaning with the OVER in this game, as Denver has been in the bottom half of the league in defensive rating all season long and ranks third in the NBA in OVER percentage (59.7 percent). The OVER has hit in 46 of Denver’s 77 games.

Meanwhile, the Warriors are a much more balanced offense when Curry, Butler, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski are all healthy. These teams have fallen short of this total in both of their meetings this season, but Jokic also didn’t play in the last meeting in March.

With the Joker back, Denver’s offensive rating has skyrocketed, as it’s scored 127 or more points in the three games since he returned. I expect that trend to continue on Friday.

Pick: OVER 235.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

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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