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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets: Can the Nuggets finish on top of the West?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are visiting the Denver Nuggets at Ball Center on Sunday.

Are the Cavs a legit contender?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are third in the Eastern Conference with a 45-29 record. They have lost four of the last six games but are coming off a 117-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavs are seventh in the league, making 13.7 three-pointers per game, and are ranked fifth, allowing 109.4 points per game. Donovan Mitchell is the best player on the team, averaging 27.1 points per game, followed by Darius Garland with 18.3.

The Nuggets have lost the last two games

The Denver Nuggets have dropped to third place in the Western Conference with a 51-23 record. After four consecutive wins, the defending champions lost to Phoenix and Minnesota, both times at home. Denver is fifth in the league, shooting 49.4% from the field, and is 14th, scoring 114.4 points per game. Nikola Jokic is the frontrunner in the MVP race, averaging 26.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game.

Betting Trends

The Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in the last seven games overall. They are 15-4 SU in the last 19 home games, 6-0 SU in the last six games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 6-1 SU in the last seven games against teams from the Central Division. The Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in the last six games overall, 1-4 ATS in the last five road games and 4-2 ATS in the last six games against teams from the Northwest Division.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Denver Nuggets got on top of the Western Conference but quickly fell down after back-to-back home losses. It is not easy to win in Mile High City, and the Cavaliers will feel that tonight. Cleveland is having a promising season, being in the top 3 in the East, but has been struggling in the last couple of weeks. These two teams have split the last ten meetings, but there will be only one team running the show in this game. The Nuggets need to bounce back and will not allow losing their third straight home game. The Joker and his teammates will put their foot on the gas and win this one by covering the -6.5-point spread.