The Denver Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon on Monday, but they still beat the Los Angeles Clippers. They might be in the same spot for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets, as Jokic, Murray and Gordon are all questionable. Let’s dive into the most recent Nikola Jokic injury update for Wednesday to discuss his odds of playing. If you’re hungry for more action, check out our NBA player prop bets, our NBA betting tools or our NBA betting promos!
Nikola Jokic Injury Update: Is Denver’s Star Playing Tonight?
Nikola Jokic Injury Update
The Nuggets just played a back-to-back set on Sunday and Monday, and now, for their third game in four days, several key cogs in their rotation are questionable, including superstar center Nikola Jokic. Jokic has been dealing with back soreness, which also landed him on the injury report as questionable on Monday.
Because Jokic got a night off on Monday, I’m surprised to see him still on the injury report. But it’s a long season, and the defending champion Nuggets have their sights set on more than just another strong regular-season performance.
The Nuggets have asked a lot of Jokic with Jamal Murray sidelined — he has averaged 33.9 minutes and 29.8 points per game without the star guard. However, now that Murray is questionable to make his return from a multi-week absence, the Nuggets could choose to use Murray here and give Jokic another night off.
Is Nikola Jokic Playing for Denver Tonight?
So is Nikola Jokic playing for the Nuggets tonight? This one is a tough call. Jokic should be good to go after getting the night off on the wrong end of a back-to-back set. After playing the Rockets tonight, the Nuggets will play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, which could also be affecting the team’s calculus when it comes to starting Jokic. This weekend’s back-to-back set will begin with a road game against the Phoenix Suns and conclude with a road game against the Sacramento Kings, so they aren’t easy matchups, either.
The books are taking action on Jokic’s point total at 27.5, which suggests some hedging on their part about Murray’s potential return, as that number was trading at 29.5 or 30.5 without him. The Nuggets are trading as a 7.5-point favorite tonight despite the injuries, which suggests some optimism Denver will actually have a few big names. However, the Rockets are on the wrong end of a back-to-back set, which may also be affecting that number. Still, Houston feels a bit underrated here — the Rockets won’t play again until Saturday and rank eighth in net rating on the year (+4.3), one spot behind the Nuggets (+4.6).
If you’re looking to take advantage of Denver’s awkward injury situation — or you expect the Nuggets to get their full rotation back tonight — you can head to BetMGM to buy either side at odds of -110 to cover the spread. I like Houston at that price, especially with both Jokic and Murray uncertain to play. If one or both end up sitting, the spread will likely close at 5.5 or below. But before you head to BetMGM, make sure to check out our BetMGM bonus code for free OddsShopper Premium and your first bet paid back as a bonus bet up to $1,500!
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