Emirates NBA Cup Predictions Today: Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors Picks and Odds on December 3

The Denver Nuggets hope to keep their Emirates NBA Cup hopes alive as they take on Stephen Curry and the unbeaten Golden State Warriors this Tuesday at the jam-packed Ball Arena.

(Photo by Grant Burke/NBAE via Getty Images)

Denver is currently tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the third spot in West Group C with a 1-2 (win-loss) slate and a game behind the second place Dallas Mavericks which sports a 2-1 card.

• Playing in front of their home fans and with their backs against the wall, the Nuggets head into this matchup as the slight three-point favorite as per the latest Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors betting lines.
• Denver enters this matchup on the back of a close 126-122 defeat to James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday while the Warriors lost four in a row after dropping a 113-105 decision against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
• Golden State, however, holds a better Against-The-Spread (ATS) record than Denver, posting an 11-8 ATS card as opposed to the latter’s 7-10-1 ATS slate.

Will the Nuggets salvage what’s left of their hopes of making it to the next round or will the Warriors shut their chances off?

Keep scrolling as we find out how both teams look in this comprehensive Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors sports predictions article.

Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors DraftKings NBA Odds for December 3

Moneyline

• Denver Nuggets: -142
• Golden State Warriors: +120

Spread

• Denver Nuggets: -3 (-110)
• Golden State Warriors: +3 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 234.5 (-110)
• UNDER 234.5 (-110)

Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors Injury Report

Denver Nuggets Injury Report

1. Vlatko Cancar – Knee – Out
2. DaRon Holmes II – Out

Golden State Warriors Injury Report

1. Quinten Post – Out
2. DeAnthony Melton – Anterior Cruciate Ligament – Out

Best NBA odds for Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors

• The Denver Nuggets have covered the spread in three of their nine home games this season. The best Denver Nuggets odds for the home team to cover the spread are available on DraftKings at -110.
• The Golden State Warriors have covered the spread five out of seven times as an underdog this season. DraftKings has the best odds for the Warriors to cover the spread at -110.
• The under hit in three of the five previous matchups between the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors. The best Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors odds for the under are available on DraftKings at -110.

Why will the Denver Nuggets cover the spread?

Losing their last Emirates NBA Cup assignment to the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets now find themselves in a must-win situation against the unbeaten Golden State Warriors if they want to advance into the next round.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, they are taking on a Warriors squad that has struggled in regular season play, losing four straight games.

• If that’s not good enough, the Nuggets will also be welcoming back forward Aaron Gordon into this lineup after he missed their previous NBA cup outing with an injury.

The 29-year old Gordon made his return against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday where he recorded 10 points and four assists in 24 minutes of play.

With Gordon back, the Nuggets will no longer be undersized against the Warriors who are the second-best team in rebounds this season, averaging close to 50 boards per game.

Of course, winning the boards is only half the battle against a well-oiled Golden State squad with plenty of offensive weapons on the floor, which means the Nuggets may need another big game from Nikola Jokic.

• Good thing for the Nuggets is Jokic always delivers as evident by his triple-double performance against the Clippers yesterday where he tallied 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Besides Jokic, Denver will also need their bench to deliver, especially Russell Westbrook who was only limited to nine points against the Clippers.

• In their lone Cup victory this season, Westbrook was solid as a rock for the Nuggets finishing with 12 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds, two steals, and one block on 41.7 shooting from the field.

Should the Nuggets control the boards and get the usual production from Jokic and his supporting cast, backing the home team to walk away with a comfortable win here should be a no-brainer.

Why will the Golden State Warriors cover the spread?

After starting the season seemingly invincible, the Golden State Warriors have been struggling to buy a victory in the past week, losing four straight games.

With the Denver Nuggets next up on their schedule, the road to ending their unfortunate losing skid doesn't get easier but if there is one thing the Warriors can be optimistic about – it’s their successive run of victories in the NBA Cup.

• For all the flak they have been getting lately, the Warriors have actually delivered in the league’s in-season tournament, beating teams by an average margin of four points across three games.
• Even more impressive is the fact that different Warriors’ players stepped up in their three Cup victories this season with Stephen Curry pulling in 37 in its 120-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Buddy Hield scoring 18 in their 123-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and Andrew Wiggins recording 30 in its 112-108 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans.

With the Nuggets still trying to adjust to the return of Aaron Gordon to its lineup and the immaculate record of the Warriors in NBA Cup play, there could be value towards backing the road team to cover the spread at these current NBA odds.

For the Warriors to cover the spread though, they would need to actually live up to the billing of being the second-best rebounding team in the league.

Against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Golden State found itself out-rebounded and outmuscled down low by their opponents who won the battle of the boards.

This simply won’t cut it on the road against a Nuggets team who is raring to return to the win column after losing a close one to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Three-point shooting should also play a major factor for the Warriors here, especially with the team generating much of its offense on catch-shoot plays and off-the-ball screens.

All things considered, backing the Warriors to cover the spread at these current odds should their three-point shots fall and they win the battle of the boards is something punters might look at if they want a solid betting angle on the underdog.

Final Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors NBA Prediction: Denver Nuggets -3 (-110)

With the Golden State Warriors struggling mightily and the Denver Nuggets having Aaron Gordon back in their lineup, I am slightly leaning towards the home team to cover the spread and walk away with a comfortable victory.