Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets Preview (2/4/23): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds

After handling business against the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets will turn their attention towards Atlanta, a non-conference foe. Take a look below at our entire game preview, featuring our betting picks, predictions, and odds, as well as the projected starting lineups and injury reports for both teams!

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Odds

The Atlanta Hawks are seven-point road underdogs against the Denver Nuggets in this matchup. Atlanta should have its entire roster at its disposal, as everyone is healthy.

Meanwhile, Denver will be without Collin Gillespie and Jack White, as it has been for most of the season. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic are considered questionable as of Saturday morning.

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction

Atlanta is on the second night of a back-to-back when it travels to Denver to face the Nuggets on Saturday night. The Hawks have been playing solid basketball recently, winning two straight road games against Phoenix and Utah, respectively.

Meanwhile, Denver can seem to do no wrong, especially at home, where it has won 18 of the past 19 games. In short, the Nuggets are seemingly unbeatable in front of their own fans.

A huge contributing factor to this has been Nikola Jokic, who is well on his way to a third-straight MVP award, a feat that has not been accomplished since Larry Bird did it in the 1980s.

Further, the Nuggets are 17-0 this season when Nikola Jokic records a triple-double; his talent is simply amazing.

There’s no way I can fade the Nuggets at home, where they have been electric. As long as Jokic is on the floor, I like Denver in this spot. Jokic is primed to record his seventh triple-double in his past eight games.

Betting Trends

• Atlanta is 13-14-1 ATS on the road in 2022-23
• Denver is 17-10-1 ATS at home in 2022-23
• The combined over record of these two teams is 56-48 in 2022-23

Key Matchups

The best center in the NBA, Nikola Jokic, will battle with defensive-minded big man Clint Capela in our key matchup of the game. See whether Capela can slow down Jokic and his absurd offensive output in this one or if “The Joker” will continue dominating the rest of the league.

Nikola Jokic vs. Clint Capela

In his past two seasons, Clint Capela has not scored, rebounded, protected the rim, or stayed on the floor as much as he had in the three years prior; however, that does not mean he’s not still an impactful player, particularly on the defensive end.

Few centers in the league have the interior prowess that Capela has, even if the stat sheet doesn’t always reflect it. He is not an easy matchup to go up against, and his individual defensive rating of 109.8 this season reflects that.

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic is in another MVP-caliber season, averaging a triple-double with unprecedented efficiency. Between this season and last season, no other NBA player has had a higher single-season PER (player efficiency rating) in the history of the league.

Interestingly enough, in 20 games against Capela, Nikola Jokic has never scored 28 or more points. While he does fill out the stat sheet everywhere else, per usual, this is a head-scratching trend.

Still, I will give Jokic the advantage, as we can’t lean too heavily on the past here, especially since Capela hardly stays on the floor for more than 20 minutes per game. Advantage: Jokic.

Atlanta Hawks Starting Lineup

PG: Trae Young
SG: Dejounte Murray
SF: De’Andre Hunter
PF: John Collins
C: Clint Capela

Denver Nuggets Starting Lineups

PG: Jamal Murray
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Michael Porter Jr
PF: Vlatko Cancar
C: Nikola Jokic

Key Injuries

Atlanta Hawks Injuries: None

Denver Nuggets Injuries: Collin Gillespie (Out), Jack White (Out), Aaron Gordon (Q), Nikola Jokic (Q)