Cavs Big Favorites With Jokic Out as Depleted Nuggets Visit Friday

Denver lists Jamal Murray as probable in a frontcourt short on size.

Overview

Cleveland hosts Denver at Rocket Arena on Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. EST, with the Cavaliers 19-16 and the Nuggets 23-10, airing on Amazon Prime Video and FanDuel Sports Network.
Denver will be without Nikola Jokić, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and backup center Jonas Valanciunas, significantly thinning the rotation.
Jamal Murray is listed as probable, with Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes positioned for expanded minutes.
Sportsbooks list Cleveland around -13.5, reflecting Denver’s absences and the Cavaliers’ three-game home winning streak.
Cleveland is expected to start Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, with Mitchell averaging 29.7 points per game.