The defending NBA champion and red-hot Denver Nuggets get set to clash against the struggling and rebuilding Toronto Raptors Monday night inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. They tip it off at 9:00 pm.  Bookmaker has installed the Nuggets as a heavy - 13.5 point favorite in this clash which appears to be set up as a lop-sided affair. 

Denver has won eight out of nine overall and they are playing like a team on a mission. They believe they can not only get back to the NBA Finals but win it again. They have the talent, drive, depth and the veteran presence to get the job done. 

On offense, their game plan revolves around the game's best player in Nikola Jokic, who has really reinvented the way the center position should be played. He can do it all, from putting the ball on the floor to creating for his teammates. Jokic is averaging a team-high 26 points per game to go along with a team-high 12 rebounds per contest. 

He is also getting some great contributions from his teammate in 27-year-old point guard Jamal Murray, who is netting close to 21 a game for Denver, which would love to score 120 plus in this game because they know the Raptors do not have the offense to match them point for point. 

Denver connects on 56% from the floor, including 37% from beyond the arc. They can reign down three's in bunches and they will look to push the pace in this one. 

The Raptors have endured a rough season and they are clearly in the midst of a rebuild. They have traded away some veterans and now it is a matter of finding out which players they can build around and which players will not be back next season. 

Offensively, they have struggled to find their groove on the court and they have not really been able to get into a groove at all this season. They do rely on shooting guard RJ Barrett to get them going. He has taken over more of the offensively responsibilities and is averaging close to 20 points per game to go along with just under four assists per clip. 

If the Raptors do not stop the Nuggets' 1-2 punch, this game could get out of hand. Toronto also has to do a better job of not turning the ball over, and they must be able to convert easy buckets in transition if the opportunity presents itself. 

If they get crushed on the glass, Denver should roll in this one. 

Denver is 4-1 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the number. They are also 13-18 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in three out of their last five games. The Raptors are 1-4 in their last five games and 1-4 in their last five games against the number. They are also 16-15 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games. They are 29-34-1 overall against the spread this season.