Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Preview and Odds - 12/05/2024

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, December 5, 2024

Venue:  Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH

Where to Watch:  NBA TV

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Nuggets +3.5, Cavaliers -3.5; Over/Under:  234.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Nuggets +3.5, Cavaliers -3.5; Over/Under:  234.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Nuggets +3.5, Cavaliers -3.5; Over/Under:  234.5 points

Denver Nuggets:  11-8 (2nd place, Northwest Division)

Cleveland Cavaliers:  19-3 (1st place, Central Division)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Big Al McMordie is on a HOT STREAK in the NBA on an 8-1 NBA RUN for +$6,900 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Denver Nuggets:  5-5 last 10

Cleveland Cavaliers:  7-3 last 10

The Nuggets are entering this game with an 11-8 record overall this season and they are 5-4 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Golden State Warriors. Nikola Jokić led the team in points in that game with 38 while Michael Porter Jr. was next on the team with 22 points. Jamal Murray led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Nikola Jokić led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 50.6% from the field, 45.8% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 118.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 116.3 PPG against them. The Nuggets have an ATS record of 7-11-1 this season and their O/U record is 12-7.

The Cavaliers are entering this game with a 19-3 record overall this season and they are 12-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards. Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell each led the team in points in that game with 19 while Georges Niang and Sam Merrill each were next on the team with 14 points. Donovan Mitchell led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Evan Mobley led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 48.3% from the field, 34.8% from 3-point range, and 64% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 121.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 111.3 PPG against them. The Cavaliers have an ATS record of 16-6 this season and their O/U record is 13-9.

The current betting odds have the Cavaliers listed as a 3.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers have looked great in their games this season with their 19-3 record overall which has them right at the top of the East with the best record in the entire NBA. They have some momentum on their side again with 2 wins in a row and they have looked great on their home court this year with their 12-1 home record. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have looked good in their games this season with their 11-8 record overall, but that record has them in the middle of the West at the moment. They have struggled this season and haven't looked as good in their road games with their 5-4 road record. They are coming off a win against the Warriors in their last one, but that was a tight 4 point win at home and they needed a really late comeback to make it happen. The Nuggets have not been the same team this season that has been such a strong force in the NBA the last few years, and their depth has been a big problem this season with the bench not performing. The Cavs have been a force in the East the last few seasons with Mitchell, but they are finally taking a step this season, led by their new head coach. Atkinson has unlocked something in this team to start the season and they are showing no signs of slowing down, especially in their home games. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cavaliers to cover the spread in this game. 

Nuggets Cavaliers Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Thursday, December 5, 2024 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Cavaliers 119 Nuggets 108.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this Denver Nuggets Cleveland Cavaliers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NBA predictions and previews.

Denver Nuggets: 21-14 ATS as a road underdog. 10-4 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%). 27-19 UNDER after a win by 6 points or less. 39-25 UNDER versus good offensive teams - scoring 116+ points/game.

Cleveland Cavaliers: 21-32 ATS when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 10-5 UNDER at home after a blowout win by 20 points or more. 7-4 UNDER at home after 3 or more consecutive unders.

Denver Nuggets:  V. Čančar (PF) Out - Knee. D. Holmes (PF) Out For Season - Achilles.

Cleveland Cavaliers:  T. Jerome (SG) Day To Day - Illness. M. Strus (SF) Out - Ankle. E. Bates Out - Knee.

“I mean, take it personal. That’s what I would say. Take it personal, they’re calling you up for a reason, and prove to them that you’re not that guy.” - Michael Malone on Jamal Murray after his team’s win against the Warriors in their game on Tuesday.

“Empowerment. We made it public, like, ‘Evan Mobley, continue to take that step,’ like, that’s huge for us. Jarrett Allen’s been phenomenal. Pushing DG. He talked about it after the Boston game. ‘We’re not hiding you on defense.’ DG is not a guy that wants to hide. Being able to take that challenge and doing it.” - Donovan Mitchell on the team’s success this season.

PG Jamal Murray

SG Christian Braun

SF Michael Porter Jr.

PF Aaron Gordon

C Nikola Jokic

PG Darius Garland

SG Donovan Mitchell

SF Isaac Okoro 

PF Evan Mobley

C Jarrett Allen

PPG: N. Jokić (30.1)

APG: N. Jokić (10.4)

Reb/G: N. Jokić (13)

PPG: D. Mitchell (24.3)

APG: D. Garland (6.7)

Reb/G: J. Allen (10.3)

Coaches:

Denver Nuggets: Michael Malone (10th season)

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kenny Atkinson (1st season)