Two of the best teams in the NBA will play in game one of the doubleheader on ESPN on Friday when the Denver Nuggets travel to Boston, Massachusetts to face the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden.

The Nuggets enter this game with the 3^rd best record in the Western Conference at 28-14, however, they are coming off a 121-126 loss on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday which also ended their two-game winning streak. Nikola Jokic continues to play at an MVP-caliber level this season as he leads the team in scoring, rebounds, assists, and blocks with an average of 25.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 0.93 blocks per game. 

Jokic’s play has helped the Nuggets to be an above-average team offensively and defensively this season as they are averaging 116.31 points per game which is more than the league average of 115.52 points per game while allowing the 7^th fewest points per game in the NBA with an average of 111.36 points allowed per game. The Denver Nuggets will look to bounce back following the loss against the 76ers on the road when they travel to face the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics have the best record in the NBA at 32-9 and are on a three-game winning streak following Wednesday’s 117-98 win at home against the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics are one of the most complete teams in the NBA as they are a top-10 team offensively and defensively. Boston is averaging the 5^th most points per game in the league with an average of 120.93 points per game while allowing the 5^th fewest points per game with an average of 110.93 points per game. 

Jayson Tatum’s play this season has played a pivotal role in the success of the Celtics as he leads the team in scoring and rebounds with an average of 27.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Boston Celtics will look to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

BookMaker has the Boston Celtics listed as 5.5-point favorites at home against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Boston has won six of the previous ten and two of the previous three meetings while going 6-4 ATS in the last ten and covering the spread in two of the last three games in the series. The Denver Nuggets are 18-23-1 ATS overall, 7-14 ATS on the road, and 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season while the Boston Celtics are 21-18-2 ATS overall, 13-7 ATS at home, and 20-17-2 ATS as a favorite on the year.

Boston has the best record in the NBA and has been the better team in the series, winning six of the last ten and two of the previous three meetings. The Celtics have covered the spread in six of the last ten and two of the last three games in the series while also being the better team at covering the spread this season with a record of 21-18-2 ATS overall and 13-7 ATS at home while the Nuggets are 18-23-1 ATS overall and 7-14 ATS on the road. Buy the .5 point and lay the points with the Boston Celtics when they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday.