NBA
Philadelphia 76ers vs Denver Nuggets Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: Tuesday 21st January 2025 Start time: 7 pm local time (3 am BST) Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado Last meeting: January 27, 2024, Denver Nuggets 111-105 Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Denver, Colorado to face off with the West’s fourth seed the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic//Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Denver, Colorado to face off with the West’s fourth seed the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have turned their form around since the start of the new year as they have currently won seven of their last ten games, but the former NBA champions will have a tough test playing against the 76ers. Despite sitting 11th in the East, the 76ers and the Nuggets always deliver a blockbuster clash, and both will be hoping to get a win in Colorado on Tuesday night.
This preview provides an in-depth analysis of both teams and explores their recent form heading into this big game. Both teams face off once again in another historical head-to-head showdown and we discuss key players on both sides. We will share our top betting picks before offering our final prediction for the team that will come out on top.
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Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Philadelphia 76ers: 5/4 (2.25) - 44%
Denver Nuggets: 4/6 (1.67) - 60%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
The Denver Nuggets host the second game in a row against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it is the first encounter in the 2024/25 NBA season. The Nuggets and 76ers have only played each other 98 times previously in the regular season, but it remains a very close fixture despite the many meetings. The 76ers have produced 54 wins, whereas the Nuggets have only won 44 times.
In the past few years, in particular, a developing pattern has emerged regarding the winner of the match. The Nuggets and 76ers have alternated victories in their last seven meetings, with the Nuggets being the last winner on home court in January 2024.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2023/24 Season | January 27, 2024 | Denver Nuggets 111-105 Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2023/24 Season | January 16, 2024 | Philadelphia 76ers 126-121 Denver Nuggets |
| 2022/23 Season | March 27, 2022 | Denver Nuggets 116-111 Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2022/23 Season | January 28, 2022 | Philadelphia 76ers 126-119 Denver Nuggets |
| 2021/22 Season | March 14, 2022 | Denver Nuggets 114-110 Philadelphia 76ers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Denver Nuggets
- Record: 25-16
- Home Form: 12-8
- Road Form: 13-8
The Denver Nuggets are posing nearly the exact same record both at home and on the road this season, with this game against the 76ers posing the chance that this record could look completely the same. The Nuggets sit fourth in the West and are eyeing up the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets ahead.
By far the best player on the roster is Nikola Jokic, who is second and third overall in the entire league in points per game, rebounds and assists. His stat line is seriously impressive and looks to be playing the best of his whole career. He is averaging 30.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and 9.9 assists. He is closing in on averaging the triple-double for the season, something that he hasn’t achieved in his career so far. His incredible ability is not only impressive to watch, but he has raised his game to even greater heights in scoring efficiency. He is averaging 47.1% on his three-point shots, the first time he has averaged 40%+ in his entire career.
With Jokic leading every stat, the Nuggets have Jamal Murray to provide additional support to the roster. He is their next leading scorer, with the 27-year-old Canadian producing 20.1 points per game. Murray’s efficiency on three-point shots has regressed from 42.5% to 38.8%, too, which is a cause of concern for the rest of the team. Despite this noticeable regression, Murray continues to match his seasonal averages in rebounds and assists. He is slowly getting into the swing of things after a steady start to the season.
Philadelphia 76ers
- Record: 15-25
- Home Form: 6-13
- Road Form: 9-12
The Philadelphia 76ers are a struggling side this season. It is worth stating that the 76ers have lots of talent within, but due to each of their star players being forced to watch on the sidelines at different teams, the roster has rarely seen all their best players join forces for the same match. Their chemistry is lacking and currently sit down in 11th in the East as a result.
Their number one-point guard Tyrese Maxey is their leading scorer with 26.1 points accumulated per game. On paper, this places the 24-year-old star ninth in the NBA, and once again he is closely matching his performances from last season. He has played in 33 matches thus far this season and therefore plays the biggest role in their season.
As mentioned previously about the 76ers and their injury crisis, the roster is without star man Joel Embiid. Embiid and Jokic always bring the best out in each other, considering the wealth of individual qualities both players possess. However, he will be missing out on this match due to more injury woes which have marred his season. He has only played and started 13 times since the season started in October.
Value Bets
Tyrese Maxey: Over 20 Points and 5 Assists
Tyrese Maxey has only contested in seven games against the Nuggets but always produces fireworks in this match. His best performance came on debut when he posted 39 points, but his complete average across the seven games is 22.9 points and 4.9 assists. SportsBoom predicts Maxey to eclipse five assists but should have no trouble posting above 20 points.
Nikola Jokic: Over 20 Points, Over 10 Rebounds and Over 5 Assists
Nikola Jokic has some impressive averages throughout his career against the 76ers, with the Serbian giant averaging 22.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He has raised his game to even greater heights this season, as evident when we discussed his seasonal averages, so we expect the trend of him posting a double-double to continue for yet another game against the 76ers.
Prediction: Denver Nuggets to win
SportsBoom believes the Denver Nuggets will emerge victorious. Denver has triumphed in three of the last five encounters, but the crucial consistency of Nikola Jokic makes a significant impact on the roster. The question is whether the 76ers can attempt to win without Joel Embiid, yet we favour the Nuggets to secure back-to-back victories. Philadelphia has suffered five consecutive losses, indicating that the organisation is enduring a challenging period; hence, our consensus leans towards a home victory for the Nuggets. If you’re betting online, this matchup offers a great opportunity to back a reliable and in-form team.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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