Who’s Playing

Utah @ Denver

Current Records: Utah 4-1; Denver 3-2

What to Know

This Friday, the Denver Nuggets are hoping to patch up the holes in a defense that has allowed an average of 119.4 points per matchup. The Nuggets and the Utah Jazz will face off in a Northwest Division battle at 9 p.m. ET Friday at Ball Arena. Denver has been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with Utah and is hoping to record their first victory since Jan. 31 of last year.

It was all tied up 54-54 at the half for Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, but Denver stepped up in the second half for a 110-99 win. Center Nikola Jokic had a stellar game for Denver as he almost dropped a triple-double on 31 points, 13 boards, and nine assists.

Meanwhile, the Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 109-101 on Wednesday. Utah can attribute much of their success to point guard Jordan Clarkson, who shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc and finished with 20 points, five dimes and six rebounds, and small forward Lauri Markkanen, who had 24 points in addition to nine boards.

The Nuggets are the favorite in this one, with an expected 8.5-point margin of victory. But bettors beware: they are only 1-3 against the spread when favored.

Denver found themselves the reluctant recipients of an unfortunate 123-102 punch to the gut against Utah in the teams’ previous meeting earlier this month. Maybe Denver will have more luck at home instead of on the road? Watch the contest and check back on CBS Sports for all the details.

How To Watch

• When: Friday at 9 p.m. ET
• Where: Ball Arena — Denver, Colorado
• TV: Altitude Sports & Entertainmnt
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $17.00

Odds

The Nuggets are a big 8.5-point favorite against the Jazz, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as an 8.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Utah have won 21 out of their last 34 games against Denver.

• Oct 19, 2022 – Utah 123 vs. Denver 102
• Feb 02, 2022 – Utah 108 vs. Denver 104
• Jan 16, 2022 – Utah 125 vs. Denver 102
• Jan 05, 2022 – Utah 115 vs. Denver 109
• Oct 26, 2021 – Utah 122 vs. Denver 110
• May 07, 2021 – Utah 127 vs. Denver 120
• Jan 31, 2021 – Denver 128 vs. Utah 117
• Jan 17, 2021 – Utah 109 vs. Denver 105
• Sep 01, 2020 – Denver 80 vs. Utah 78
• Aug 30, 2020 – Denver 119 vs. Utah 107
• Aug 25, 2020 – Denver 117 vs. Utah 107
• Aug 23, 2020 – Utah 129 vs. Denver 127
• Aug 21, 2020 – Utah 124 vs. Denver 87
• Aug 19, 2020 – Utah 124 vs. Denver 105
• Aug 17, 2020 – Denver 135 vs. Utah 125
• Aug 08, 2020 – Denver 134 vs. Utah 132
• Feb 05, 2020 – Denver 98 vs. Utah 95
• Jan 30, 2020 – Denver 106 vs. Utah 100
• Apr 09, 2019 – Utah 118 vs. Denver 108
• Feb 28, 2019 – Utah 111 vs. Denver 104
• Jan 23, 2019 – Utah 114 vs. Denver 108
• Nov 03, 2018 – Denver 103 vs. Utah 88
• Jan 05, 2018 – Denver 99 vs. Utah 91
• Dec 26, 2017 – Denver 107 vs. Utah 83
• Nov 28, 2017 – Utah 106 vs. Denver 77
• Oct 18, 2017 – Utah 106 vs. Denver 96
• Jan 24, 2017 – Denver 103 vs. Utah 93
• Dec 03, 2016 – Utah 105 vs. Denver 98
• Nov 23, 2016 – Utah 108 vs. Denver 83
• Nov 20, 2016 – Denver 105 vs. Utah 91
• Apr 10, 2016 – Utah 100 vs. Denver 84
• Feb 03, 2016 – Utah 85 vs. Denver 81
• Dec 18, 2015 – Utah 97 vs. Denver 88
• Nov 05, 2015 – Utah 96 vs. Denver 84