Toronto Raptors vs. Denver Nuggets Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Regular-season NBA action will resume on Saturday night with a compelling non-conference matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets. Coverage begins from Ball Arena in Denver at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Score Prediction

Nuggets 114, Raptors 106

Best Bets

Nuggets -5.5 (-110) at DraftKings

Raptors vs. Nuggets Predictions

After finishing third in the West with a record of 47-25 SU last year, Denver stumbled out to a surprisingly slow start to the season, as the Nuggets opened with a lackluster 20-19 SU and 16-23 ATS stretch – while averaging just 105.6 OPPG across that timeframe.

The Nuggets have played excellent since the midway point of January though, considering Denver boasts records of 20-8 SU and 14-13-1 ATS across their last 28 games – while scoring 118.7 OPPG and surrendering just 111.7 DPPG during that span.

On the other hand, Toronto also posted a relatively mediocre start to the season, as the Raptors kicked things off with a lackluster 23-23 SU and 25-21 ATS stretch – despite getting tagged as underdogs in 26 of those contests.

Toronto has played decent basketball since the waning days of January though, considering the Raptors enter Saturday riding a sturdy 12-7 SU and 11-8 ATS stretch – while tallying 111.6 OPPG and allowing just 109.3 DPPG across that window.

I’ll back Denver here, as the Nuggets are 10-2 SU and 6-6 ATS in their last 12 games, while generating 117.9 OPPG and allowing just 111.3 DDPG across that window – likely presenting a steep uphill battle for a Raptors squad that’s scored 110 PTS or less in nine of their last 11 contests (105.1 OPPG).

Raptors vs. Nuggets Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Raptors vs. Nuggets Betting Resources

• Matchup: Atlantic vs. Northwest
• Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022
• Venue: Ball Arena
• Location: Denver, CO
• TV-Time: NBA League Pass - 9:00 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

Toronto Raptors Betting Analysis

• SU: 35-30
• ATS: 36-29
• O/U: 33-32

After finishing 12^th in the East with a record of 27-45 SU last year, Toronto jumped out to a much stronger start to this season, as the Raptors opened with a pedestrian 23-23 SU stretch – with ten of those SU victories coming in matchups they were underdogs in.

The Raptors finally emerged as legitimate playoff contenders towards the end of January though, considering Toronto enters Saturday riding a solid 12-7 SU stretch – which includes tough victories over the Heat, Bulls, Wolves, and Hawks.

Denver Nuggets Betting Analysis

• SU: 40-27
• ATS: 30-36-1
• O/U: 34-31-2

Despite the year-long absence of Jamal Murray, Denver has still strung together an admirable regular-season campaign, considering the Nuggets are positioned sixth in the Western Conference standings with a record of 40-27 SU – which trails the fifth-place Mavericks and fourth-place Jazz by just a few games.

The Nuggets have experienced their fair share of additional health issues throughout the year, primarily highlighted by the extended absence of Michael Porter Jr. However, I still like my chances with Denver in this spot, considering the Nuggets have tallied 115+ PTS in seven of their last 11 contests (118.6 OPPG) – and they’ve surrendered 110 PTS or less in five of their last nine (110.9 DPPG).

Raptors vs. Nuggets Head-to-Head

The Nuggets and Raptors split a two-game regular-season set last year, with both matchups soaring over the total at an average of 239 PPG. The most recent matchup between these teams took place roughly a month ago though, which resulted in a relatively low-scoring victory for Denver (110-109, U 222).

Key Players to Watch

• TOR: Pascal Siakam - PF (21.5 PPG, 8.4 REB, 5 AST)
• TOR: Fred VanVleet - PG (21.5 PPG, 4.5 REB, 6.8 AST)
• DEN: Nikola Jokic - C (26.1 PPG, 13.9 REB, 8.1 AST)
• DEN: Monte Morris - PG (13 PPG, 3 REB, 4.3 AST)

Raptors vs. Nuggets Betting Conclusion

After snapping a four-game win streak with a loss to the Warriors on Thursday night (L, 113-102), the Nuggets enter Saturday’s contest as short home favorites over the Raptors at Ball Arena – marking the tenth straight game Denver has been favored in.

I’ll back Denver here, as the Raptors are 4-7 SU and 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games, while scoring just 105.1 OPPG and surrendering 108.8 DPPG during that timeframe – setting the stage for a tough road matchup against a Nuggets squad that’s averaging 117.9 OPPG across their latest 10-2 SU run.

Raptors vs. Nuggets Betting Trends

• The Nuggets are 10-2 SU in their last 12 games.
• The Raptors are 2-8 ATS in their last ten matchups against Denver.
• The total has gone UNDER in five of the last eight Nuggets' games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of the last five matchups between Toronto and Denver.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson