Denver Nuggets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers February 23 Betting Preview

On Thursday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, two of the top teams in the NBA are set to square off as the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-23) will be looking to extend a four-game home winning run against the Denver Nuggets (41-18). Denver, on the other hand holds the top spot in the West and will be looking to start off the second half the way they finished the first. 

Nuggets Top Team In The West

The NBA season's second half begins on Thursday, and the Nuggets, who lead the West with a 41-18 record and a three-game winning streak, will battle a young and talented Cavaliers squad. This was the first time in the history of the Nuggets organization that the squad had 40 victories before the break. 

The Nuggets have been absolutely dominant, with an average of 117.1 points scored per game (6th), and rank second in assists per game with an average of 29.1. On the defensive side of the ball, Denver’s scoring defense concedes just 112.7 points per game (13th). 

The elements are present for a successful playoff run with the triple-double machine and league MVP favorite Nikola Jokic leading the way, while Jamal Murray is having a fantastic season after sitting out the entire previous one while recovering from ACL surgery. 

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Cavaliers Look To Make Statement

In their last game before the All-Star break, Cleveland's seven-game winning streak was snapped as they were defeated by Philadelphia on the road. But with a 38-23 record going into this contest, the Cavaliers are five games behind the Bucks for first place in the East.

The Cavaliers will be looking to do some damage in the second half of the season as they come into this matchup ranked second in both point differential and net rating. These are indicators of a club with genuine championship aspirations, but because the Cavaliers are a young team and didn't make any moves at the trade deadline, it will be interesting to see how they look in the second half. 

Cleveland is led by two outstanding guards in Donovan Mitchell (27.4 PPG) and Darius Garland (21.7 PPG), as well as two outstanding 7-foot big men in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Getting some experience in the big state will be crucial, so starting the second half with a win would be a statement against the top team in the West.

Odds And Lines

The spread for this matchup is set at two points (-110), with betJACK listing the Cavaliers as the favorites. As for the moneyline, the Cavaliers have -130 odds to pick up the win at home, while the Nuggets are listed at +110 as road underdogs. The over/under for the game is set at 223 points.

Prediction

I think the Denver Nuggets are in for a rude awakening when they head to Cleveland to take on the Cavs at Rocket Mortgage Field house. This Cleveland team is young and scrappy and one of the best teams at home winning 11 of their last 12 and 17 of their last 19 overall. 

Denver has a talented team with the two-time reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, that is fundamentally sound and can score at will. Be that as it may, there is a reason the Cavs are favored here.

Cleveland has won six of their last seven and covered the spread in six of their last eight. Nuggets get a wake-up call to start the second half, while Cleveland prepares to contend for the top spot in the East.