The Denver Nuggets are currently on the road, and they will make a stop at historic Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon to face the Knicks. Both the Nuggets and Knicks are struggling at this time, and that could give Denver a chance to pick up a victory.
Denver comes into this game with a record of 10-11, and they are slipping in the Western Conference standings. In their last five games, the Nuggets have gone just 1-4, including a 108-103 loss to the Orlando Magic on December 1.
New York hasn’t been much better this season as they are right at the .500 mark with an 11-11 record. The Knicks have lost two straight games, including a 119-115 home loss to the Chicago Bulls.
The betting lines for this game opened up as EVEN but could change slightly as it gets closer to game time.
Denver Needs to Defend
The Nuggets struggle to score points, but the defense is still one of the best in the NBA this season. Denver is holding teams to less than 105 points per game, and that defense will have to keep them in this game on Saturday afternoon.
Nikola Jokic continues to do a little bit of everything for the Nuggets as he leads the team with 25.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. The reigning MVP will be a matchup problem for the Knicks, but he also needs some help from his teammates.
Denver will be without Michael Porter Jr. for an extended period, likely for the remainder of the season. For a team that already struggles to score, this is a pretty massive loss.
The Nuggets have a tendency to come up big when the stacks are against them, and this could be another example of that taking place.
New York Nursing Some Injuries
The Knicks are also dealing with some injury concerns, which might make this matchup for the Nuggets a bit easier. RJ Barrett and Nerlens Noel are both listed as day-to-day, and their absence would create a pretty significant hole for the Knicks.
The Knicks are another team that has struggled to score as they are averaging just 106.9 points per game. New York has a superstar in Julius Randle, but there isn’t a ton of depth as the Knicks are dealing with injuries.
Randle is scoring close to 20 points per game, but he will have to deal with Jokic in this matchup. New York can be a great defensive team, which could lead to a low-scoring affair.
Slide Continues For the Nuggets
The loss of Michael Porter Jr. has hurt the Nuggets, and life on the road hasn’t been too kind either. New York isn’t exactly playing great basketball at this time either, but it’s hard to see Denver winning this game at Madison Square Garden.
The defense of the Nuggets will keep them in this game for a while, but at some point, they have to find a way to score. New York is still playing without some important pieces, but playing at home will give them an edge late in the game.
This should be a close game, but the Nuggets will come up just a bit short. Take the New York Knicks Moneyline over the Denver Nuggets.