Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 06/11/2023, 11:40  by Joseph King | Modified on 06/11/2023 at 13:02 in NBA Prediction

The 6-1 Denver Nuggets look to continue their red-hot start to the season when they host the upstart 4-2 New Orleans Pelicans. The defending champions have moved to first in the Western Conference as they look to secure the top-seed for the second consecutive year. Denver started the year off with a 4-0 run before falling 110-89 to the Timberwolves at the beginning of the month. They’ve since bounced back strongly, with a 123-101 blowout victory over the Bulls on Saturday marking their second straight win. The Nuggets are in the midst of a four game home stand with this matchup against the Pelicans marking their third straight at the Ball Arena. Since returning home to Denver after the loss in Minnesota, the Nuggets are averaging 124 points per game while shooting 44% from three-point range. They’ll likely be without point guard Jamal Murray here however, as the 26-year-old deals with a hamstring injury.

The Pelicans have enjoyed a strong start to the 2023/24 season and currently sit fourth in the Western Conference. They’ve managed wins over the Thunder, Grizzlies, Knicks and Pistons but fell short against the Warriors and Hawks. Their last outing against Atlanta ended in a disappointing 123-105 home defeat. New Orleans was dominated on the glass in their more recent loss, giving up 19 offensive rebounds while securing only 26 defensive rebounds. In total, they were outrebounded by a massive 52-35 which resulted in the Hawks scoring a massive 22 second chance points. They’ll have to be better in that respect as they take on the best center in the league in Nikola Jokic. This is the first of a three game road trip for New Orleans with the Timberwolves and Rockets on deck.