Nuggets vs Suns Predictions & Odds (March 31)

• The Denver Nuggets pay a visit to the Phoenix Suns on Friday, March 31st
• Kevin Durant made his return to the Suns lineup on Wednesday, seeing 28 minutes of action
• Check out the Nuggets vs Suns odds below, plus our best bet and pick

As long as all the superstars play, it’s a mouth watering NBA matchup on Friday, March 31st when the Denver Nuggets (51-25, 41-35 ATS) take on the Phoenix Suns (41-35, 40-35-1 ATS) at the Footprint Center in Arizona. Tipoff for this contest is set for 10:30 pm ET and can be seen on NBA TV as well as Altitude Sports.

Denver will be playing for the 2nd night in a row after a dismal offensive performance at home against New Orleans on Thursday where they lost 107-88. Missing in that game was NBA MVP odds contender, Nikola Jokic, who sat out with a calf injury, but should return for this massive clash with Phoenix.

With Kevin Durant just coming back into the fold from his own injury for Phoenix, let’s cross our fingers that all the big names take to the court in a contest between two of the top teams in the NBA Championship odds.

Nuggets vs Suns Odds

A bit surprisingly, the Suns are heavy 8.5-point favorites to dispose of the Nuggets on Friday night. At this point, the status of Jokic is unknown, so watch the line on this contest to move depending on whether he suits up or not.

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Odds as of March 31st at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Denver Offense Needs Jokic Back

So what exactly was missing last night for a top 10 Denver offense that was averaging 116.8 points per game prior to their season low 88-point output against New Orleans? How about the man vying for his 3rd consecutive MVP trophy, Nikola Jokic.

Per Stan Van Gundy…"The Nuggets are the BEST team in the NBA when Nikola Jokic is on the court and they are the WORST team in the NBA when he's off the court…"

So…Most Valuable Player?

— Swipa (@SwipaCam) March 31, 2023

What a perfect time to show the voters how valuable he is to his team, a side that couldn’t generate much of anything without their All-World center. With Jokic in the lineup, they had just defeated two of the Eastern Conference’s best squads, the 76ers and Bucks. Both those wins came on the road as well.

That has to give the West’s top seed some comfort, as they’re just a game over .500 on the road this season owning a 19-18 mark and going 17-20 against the spread. Still, that wasn’t nearly enough for the sportsbooks to make them the chalk in the NBA odds against a Suns team that’s finally healthy.

Suns Undefeated With Durant in Lineup

Although it was far from a typical Easy Money Sniper performance, the Suns improved their record to a perfect 4-0 with Kevin Durant in the lineup. Seeing 28 minutes of court time, Durant went just 5-18 from the floor, finishing with 16 points in a 107-100 Suns victory over the Timberwolves.

Suns’ Results With Kevin Durant in Lineup

Phoenix is also a spotless 4-0 against the spread when KD plays, giving you another factor to consider. This game carries some serious weight for both sides as they are currently likely to meet up in the 2nd round if you take a look at the NBA playoff bracket.

Only two teams in the West have more wins at home than the Suns this season. They’ve lost both head-to-head’s with Denver so far this campaign, although that was before the acquisition of Durant. A final meeting looms on April 6th with Denver paying one last visit before the playoffs begin.

Nuggets vs Suns Playoff Series 👀

Jamal Murray | Chris Paul

Kenny Pope | Devin Booker

Michael Porter Jr. | Torrey Craig

Aaron Gordon | Kevin Durant

Nikola Jokic | Deandre Ayton

How much fun would this be? pic.twitter.com/BQwXve0mCu

— Swipa (@SwipaCam) February 15, 2023

Nuggets vs Suns Prediction

It was a rare missed game for Jokic, who is one of the few remaining NBA superstars that plays over 70 games for his team every year. Was Mike Malone saving him with this date against Phoenix in mind?

Perhaps that’s the case, but regardless, we like a more rested Phoenix team to show Denver that they’re going to be in for a serious battle should they meet come playoff time.

KD is coming off his worst shooting performance of the year and an encore is unlikely, so watch for him to show who the best player on the court is. Having said all that, the spread is way too rich for our taste, so take the Nuggets to at least keep this one close.

Pick: Denver Nuggets +8.5 (-110)