Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers 1/11/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Matchup Preview (1/11/22)

Two injury-ridden teams in the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets will battle at the newly named Crypto.com Arena. The Clippers are now without both of their star forwards: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. George will likely be out until late January or early February, while Leonard could return later this season; however, it will be a few more months at a minimum. The Nuggets are still without Jamal Murray, who tore his ACL towards the end of the 2020-21 season, and Michael Porter Jr is dealing with a nagging back injury that has followed him around for several years. This game should be fairly low-scoring and tight for the majority of the game.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Betting Odds

The Clippers are struggling a lot without Paul George, only putting up around 103.5 points per game since losing him, which, if maintained over an entire year, would only rank them ahead of the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Detroit Pistons. His presence is also missed on the defensive end as they have given up 111.5 points per game without him. On the season, Los Angeles allows roughly 105.8 points to opponents. Six points may not seem like a big deal, but that is often the difference between winning and losing in such a competitive league.

Luckily for Los Angeles, the Denver Nuggets are not familiar with scoring a ton of points against top-tier defenses. The Nuggets are 23rd in points per game, despite having one of the league’s best offensive players on their team in Nikola Jokic. I would keep an eye on the point total because the under would be very attractive if it is around 210-215. Points will be hard to come by for the Nuggets against such a tough Clippers defense, and the Clippers don’t have enough firepower to put 105+ on the board unless everyone has a huge night.

I would give a slight lean to the Nuggets against the spread in this game. The Clippers need too many things to go right offensively to keep up with the Denver Nuggets. I also don’t see Serge Ibaka being able to contain Nikola Jokic, who is likely to go for at least 25 points and 20 rebounds in a favorable matchup. The absence of Will Barton hurts Denver a bit; however, many of the Nuggets’ role players have stepped up recently despite a lackluster start to the 2021-22 season.

TV Schedule

Date: 1/11/22
Time: 10:30 PM ET
Arena: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
Channel: NBA TV

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Denver Nuggets Starting Lineup

PG: Facundo Campazzo
SG: Austin Rivers
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets Analysis

Despite losing Michael Porter Jr to an injury and still being without Jamal Murray, the Denver Nuggets sit at sixth in the Western Conference. They rank 19th in defensive efficiency, 22nd in opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage), and 21st in 3P% (three-point percentage). So, how are the Denver Nuggets a competitive basketball team? The answer is Nikola Jokic, one of the game’s best players. Jokic’s per-game averages are astounding, but what is even more impressive about Jokic, though, is his PER (player efficiency rating), which currently stands at 32.4. If you are not familiar with PER, then you may be wondering if that number is good or not. To put it simply: Jokic is on pace to have the highest PER of all-time, even above all-time greats like Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. As long as Jokic is on the floor, Denver has a legitimate chance to win, and if Jokic can somehow drag this team into the playoffs, there is a real possibility that Jamal Murray will be ready to go by then.

Los Angeles Clippers Starting Lineup

PG: Reggie Jackson
SG: Eric Bledsoe
SF: Terance Mann
PF: Marcus Morris Sr.
C: Serge Ibaka

Los Angeles Clippers Analysis

The Clippers are banged up. They are missing Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Isaiah Hartenstein to injuries, as well as Justise Winslow and Luke Kennard to the COVID health and safety protocols. George has been the leader and primary scorer all season long, and they have struggled mightily without him. Even with him, the Clippers still rank 26th in points per game, 27th in offensive efficiency, and 20th in eFG% (effective field goal percentage.) The only thing that has kept Los Angeles from a complete free-fall is its defense, which ranks in the top five in most key defensive statistical categories.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Daily Fantasy Picks

Nikola Jokic should be a legitimate option every single night in DFS. He has once again catapulted himself towards the top of the MVP ladder for the 2021-22 season. Jokic has averaged 25.8 points, 14.2 rebounds, seven assists, and 1.4 steals per game on the season but has been performing even better recently. In his past seven games, Jokic has put up 26.7 points and 17.1 rebounds per game and has shown no signs of slowing down. Included during this stretch were performances of 29 points and 21 rebounds against the Hornets, 26 points and 22 rebounds against the Clippers, and 26 points and 21 rebounds against the Jazz. No other player is putting up these types of numbers daily, so despite his incredibly high salary, I cannot suggest an alternative option in good conscience.

Since Paul George’s injury, there has been a relatively even distribution of scoring; however, Marcus Morris Sr has stepped up in a big way on the offensive end. Although he has only played in six of the 11 total games since George’s injury, he has still averaged 22.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and three assists in that span. Those are borderline All-Star-level numbers for a player who is typically a third or fourth option on a team. Morris still does not have a high salary, so scooping him in your DFS lineups is a no-brainer.