Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz 2/2/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz Matchup Preview (2/2/22)

It has been tough sledding for the Utah Jazz, who have dropped 11 of their past 13 games. Now, they must host the Denver Nuggets, who are seven games over .500. In their last matchup, the Jazz beat the Nuggets on the road by over 20 points; however, they had Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Joe Ingles healthy for the game. None of those players will be on the floor for this game, thus making it extremely difficult to beat a Nuggets team that has found their way. Denver has won five straight games and six of its past seven, with its only loss coming to the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Additionally, the Nuggets are a terrific road team with a record of 15-12, so they should not struggle against the coldest team in the NBA. Below, I delve into whether or not I like them against the spread or if the Jazz will cover at home as likely home favorites.

Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz Betting Odds

Despite winning five of their past six games, the Nuggets are currently two-point road dogs. While it is a road game, the Jazz are an abysmal team, and this should hardly be a competition for Denver. Utah will be without Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Joe Ingles: three key players, including two All-Stars. Even Hassan Whiteside is questionable with an injury; it shouldn’t even be close if he does not play. Another notable piece of information is that the Jazz have been one of the worst defensive teams in the past six weeks, ranking in the bottom five in defensive rating. Additionally, they have lost 11 of their past 13 games, so I’m not putting any faith on them to win against a solid Nuggets team with a surging MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic. Despite the feeling that this may be a trap game, I still have to go with the Denver Nuggets against the spread. Everything points to them grabbing a road win.

TV Schedule

Date: 2/2/22
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Arena: Vivint Arena – Salt Lake City, UT
Channel: ESPN

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Denver Nuggets Starting Lineup

PG: Monte Morris
SG: Will Barton
SF: Jeff Green
PF: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets Analysis

How in the world are the Denver Nuggets with their below-average and damaged roster seven games over .500? The fact that this Nuggets team is in fifth place in the Western Conference is genuinely astounding to me. Without Nikola Jokic, this team would be amongst the bottom of the NBA, regardless of conference. They are currently without Jamal Murray, one of the best shooters and guards in the NBA, and Michael Porter Jr, who posted insanely efficient and impressive numbers last season, including 19 points and 7.3 rebounds in the 2020-21 NBA season. Those numbers are outstanding as the third option on a Nuggets team, but his stats went up even more when Murray went out towards the end of last season. Altogether, Denver is merely a shell of itself this season; however, Porter Jr and Murray may return this season, which would instantly make this team a title contender. In the meantime, that shell is still quite effective.

Utah Jazz Starting Lineup

PG: Mike Conley Jr.
SG: Jordan Clarkson
SF: Royce O’Neale
PF: Bojan Bogdanovic
C: Hassan Whiteside

Utah Jazz Analysis

The Utah Jazz have been inexplicably bad over the past month to six weeks. In their past 13 games, they have only won two against the Detroit Pistons and, ironically, the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, Utah’s luck just got worse when Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL, which looked ugly. It’s a blessing that it is just a torn ACL with no structural damage (not to undermine the severity of an ACL) because it looked career-altering. They also will not have Rudy Gobert (calf) or Donovan Mitchell (concussion) for this game, which should undoubtedly sink them. This Jazz defense is quite exploitable for an offensive juggernaut like Nikola Jokic, so unless they decide to show up and compete, I don’t see the Jazz hanging around.

Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz Daily Fantasy Picks

Except for two poor shooting nights, Bojan Bogdanovic has been on fire. Bojan has averaged roughly 18 points and four boards on the season and recently has registered 23 points against Minnesota, 23 points against Detroit, and 29 points against Houston. His usage has been high and will continue to be since Mitchell, Gobert, and now Ingles are out. Denver ranks 16th in defensive efficiency, so Bogdanovic should have plenty of open looks in this matchup. Additionally, the Nuggets have allowed over 114 points per game to opponents on just shy of 49% from the field.

Denver is red hot, winning five straight and six of its past seven, and this is primarily due to the outstanding play of Nikola Jokic. When Jokic is on the floor, the Nuggets transform from a below-average team that would be out of the playoff picture to a Western Conference contender just like that. Jokic is on pace to set the record for highest PER (player efficiency rating) in the history of the NBA, which includes all-time greats like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetkounmpo, and many others. His ability to instantly improve everyone on the court with his vision and playmaking as a 7-foot point-center makes him so effective. As if that description was not impressive enough, he has averaged a triple-double of 30 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists in his past seven games, and he has done that on a shooting split of 61/46/92, which is otherwordly. The most challenging decision in DFS this season has been whether or not to fork over a good portion of your salary on Jokic, and in most cases, it seems to be the intelligent decision.