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Nuggets Odds to Win Western Conference Improve to +800 After 3-0 Opening Week

Sam Cox

by Sam Cox in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 27, 2020 · 10:05 AM PDT

Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are +800 to win the Western Conference. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)
  • Denver Nuggets shortened to +800 to win West
  • Denver defeated Portland, Phoenix and Sacramento
  • Moved ahead of Jazz to win division

A quiet summer saw the Denver Nuggets forgotten about in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. With a 3-0 start to the season, the Nuggets have been a standout performer in the opening week of the 2019-20 campaign.

The latest NBA Conference odds show the Nuggets have moved into +800 to win the West at online sportsbooks– while their average price is +780.

Victories over the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings make Denver one of just three teams in the NBA to get off to a 3-0 start.

Odds to Win Western Conference

Team Odds
Los Angeles Clippers +200
Los Angeles Lakers +275
Houston Rockets +500
Denver Nuggets +800
Utah Jazz +800

Odds taken Oct. 29.

Building on Big 2018-19 Season

Denver grabbed the two seed in the Western Conference last season and spent several weeks in top spot. While many of their Western Conference rivals saw major roster changes, the Nuggets brought back last season’s group. They might still be inexperienced compared to some others at the top of the West, but last campaign’s 14 games provided Nikola Jokic and co. with crucial postseason experience.

Jokic, an MVP contender, was at his very best against Phoenix, notching a triple-double. Picking up victories against Portland and Sacramento, however, has been the highlight for the Nuggets thus far.

He was in foul trouble in both of those games, but the supporting cast stepped up in a big way.

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Will Barton scored 19 against the Blazers. Gary Harris and Jamal Murray combined for 35 against the Kings as Jokic finished with just nine points and two assists. Winning games with Jokic spending key minutes on the bench is a great sign for Mike Malone.

The development of Murray and Harris is vital for the Nuggets as they look to force themselves into the conversation as serious contenders in the Western Conference. Murray scored 18.2 points per game last season, and has started this year well, averaging 19.7 and shooting just shy of 39% from deep.

Harris is averaging 12.7 per game this term – marginally less than last season – but has been deadly from three-point range, shooting over 45%. Injuries are a concern for Harris, however – the 19th overall pick in the 2014 draft has played over 70 games in a season since 2015/16.

Defense Impressing

The Nuggets ranked tenth in adjusted defensive rating last season. Only seven teams forced more turnovers. At this early stage of the campaign, their defense is getting it done once again.

Their adjusted defensive rating is ninth best in the NBA, and their seven blocks-per-game is good for third in the league.

Harris and Barton have been the defensive stars. Devin Booker and Buddy Hield who shot 6-for-21 and 2-for-13 from the field, respectively, were restricted by Denver’s wings.

It has enabled their perfect start despite the offense faltering – the Nuggets are 15th in the NBA in adjusted offensive rating.

Offense Will Arrive

After having the sixth-best offense by adjusted rating last season, it’s fair to assume that Denver will get past this slow start. Jokic’s foul trouble has hampered them on that end of the floor, and we can reasonably expect Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant to improve on their current numbers of 9.3 and 10.3 points per game respectively.

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Michael Porter Jr., who is still waiting to make his Nuggets debut, could be used by Malone to hopefully ignite the offense in the near future, too. This offense will get somewhere close to its 2018-19 performance sooner rather than later. If they can combine that with early season defense, they are going to be a real threat.

Good Value at +800

The price of +800 to come out of the West, the same as the Warriors and Jazz, is a good bet. Denver have battled their way to a 3-0 start against a good Portland team, an improved Phoenix and playoff hopeful Sacramento.

Improvement offensively is a matter of when rather than if. Once that side of the ball gets going, we may see the Nuggets’ odds to win the West fall further. The prospect of Murray becoming a 20 points per game scorer, and maybe joining Jokic on the All-Star team, is enough to elevate them towards the Los Angeles teams and Houston as frontrunners.

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