Trent Reinsmith
- What: Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns
- Date: Sunday, December 25, 2022
- Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN
The final game on the NBA’s schedule for Christmas Day 2022 is a matchup between two of the top teams in the Western Conference. In that game, the Northwest Divison leading Denver Nuggets play host to the top team in the Pacific Division, the Phoenix Suns.
Denver has a 17-11 record on the 2023 NBA season and while they have been an excellent home team (8-3), they also have a winning record on the road (9-8). As for Phoenix, they are 18-12 on the season and playing much better at home (13-3) than they have played on the road (5-9).
Before we dive into the betting breakdown for the 2022 Christmas Day NBA matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 NBA Finals and our tips for betting on the NBA.
Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns picks – December 25, 2022
| Teams |  |
| Phoenix Suns | +120 |
| Denver Nuggets | -140 |
Phoenix Suns breakdown
The Suns are looking to put a rough patch behind them. The team dropped five straight and went 1-6 between December 2 and December 13. Since that slump, Phoenix rebounded with back-to-back wins against the LA Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Devin Booker leads the Suns in scoring (28.0) and assists (5.8). He also plays a healthy 35.6 points per game. Deandre Ayton is second on the Suns in points per game (17.0) He leads the team in rebounds with 9.5. Mikal Bridges is third in scoring on the club (16.2) and he leads the team in minutes (36.6) and steals (1.2). Outside of those players, Cameron Johnson (12.7) and Chris Paul (11.1) are also scoring more than 10 points per game. However, Johnson has not played since November 4 after undergoing meniscus surgery.
Phoenix is the sixth-highest-scoring road team in the NBA in 2022-23 with an average of 114.1 points per game. As for defense, the Suns are allowing an average of 113.6 points per game when they play away from home.
Denver Nuggets breakdown
As expected, two-time defending NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is setting the pace for the Nuggets. The 27-year-old superstar leads the team in points (24.6), rebounds (10.3), assists (9.0), steals (1.5) and minutes (32.6). Outside of Jokic, the Nuggets have a handful of players who are contributing more than 10 points per game. Those players are Jamal Murray (18), Aaron Gordon (16.9), Michael Porter Jr. (16.4), Bones Hyland (14.2), Bruce Brown (11) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (10.9).
Denver’s points per game at home is in the top half of the NBA this season at 109.2, while the club’s defensive points per game while playing at Ball Arena is also 109.2.
Our pick
Both these teams rely heavily on their star players. For Phoenix, that player is Devin Booker, while Denver counts on Nikola Jokic. Outside of the stars, the Nuggets are the deeper club and with that, the best bet for the Christmas Day game between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets is to pick the Nuggets to win.
Pick; Denver Nuggets to beat the Phoenix Suns.
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