Nets vs Nuggets Free Pick, NBA Free Pick & Predictions 1/29/25

J.A. Cavalier
5 days ago
2 min read

NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS

Nets vs Nuggets Free Pick

The Brooklyn Nets head to Ball Arena tonight for a rematch with the Denver Nuggets in a game shaped heavily by context, health, and motivation. Denver enters as a 7.5-point home favorite, eager to halt a rare three-game losing streak on their home floor, while Brooklyn arrives mired in a six-game overall skid and has dropped eight straight games away from home.

Although the Nets claimed a 127–115 victory in the first meeting earlier this month, this matchup looks markedly different on paper. Denver was significantly shorthanded in that loss, missing multiple key contributors, and while the Nuggets are still navigating injury challenges, the broader statistical profile now tilts much more clearly in their favor.

As the season has moved into 2026, the gap between these teams has widened. Denver continues to operate as a high-level contender despite rotation disruptions, maintaining strong efficiency and structure, particularly at home where altitude and familiarity often amplify their edge. Brooklyn, by contrast, has struggled to sustain competitiveness, especially on the road, where defensive lapses and offensive inconsistency have become recurring issues.

From a situational standpoint, this sets up as a pivotal spot for Denver. With urgency to protect home court and a clearer personnel picture than in the first meeting, the Nuggets are positioned to reassert control against a Nets team searching for stability. How effectively Denver can capitalize on Brooklyn’s road woes will determine whether this rematch follows the season-long trend rather than the outlier result of their previous encounter.

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FREE PICK Under 210.5

The first meeting was a track meet and this rematch is a funeral procession. Yeah, they combined for 242 last time—congrats, that was then. The total has been chopped down for a reason: Denver has played at the slowest tempo in the league over their last five, and Brooklyn has been even worse—the slowest pace in the NBA over their last 20. When two teams treat possessions like priceless antiques, the math instantly leans Under. And it gets uglier: both sides are missing their offensive engines—Brooklyn’s without Cam Thomas, Egor Demin, and Ziaire Williams, and Denver’s missing Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon—so where are the points supposed to come from, vibes? Denver hasn’t cracked 107 points in five straight, and they’ve gone Under in four of those. Brooklyn’s been held under 102 in three of the last four, including a recent 66-point disaster—that’s not an NBA score, that’s a Wi-Fi password. This is slow pace plus missing scorers plus teams already struggling to reach triple digits, and you’re asking them to get to 211? Public remembers the last game and bets nostalgia; sharps bet the current reality. Savage truth: tonight’s offense is optional—Under is the only adult play.