Nuggets vs. Blazers Odds, Preview, Picks and Prediction
Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers Odds
| Nuggets Odds | +5.5 |
| Trail Blazers Odds | -5.5 |
| Over/Under | 212.5 |
| Date | Tuesday, Nov. 23 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
On Tuesday evening, the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers will battle at the Moda Center. Denver enters play this evening on a four game losing streak, but could return their most important player, Nikola Jokic, to the lineup in this one after he has missed the last two contests with a right wrist sprain. Portland has won three consecutive games, and four straight games in which Damian Lillard has seen the floor. Oddsmakers anticipate a tightly-contested affair between these two teams this evening, pricing the Trail Blazers as 5.5-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a closer look at Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers odds and NBA betting tips for this late Tuesday night matchup on TNT.
Denver Nuggets (+5.5)
Though there are a few members of the media that questioned whether or not Jokic deserved to win the league’s Most Valuable Player Award last season, it is clear that from a value perspective—there are few more valuable players to their team in the entire league. Per Cleaning the Glass, when Jokic is on the floor, Denver ranks in the 92nd percentile or better in both offensive and defensive efficiency. When Jokic is off of the floor, Denver becomes one of the worst teams in the NBA—scoring only 101.4 points per 100 possessions, while giving up 118.0 points per 100 possessions.
In Denver’s last two games without Jokic, they lost at home to the Chicago Bulls by six points and on the road to the Phoenix Suns by 29 points. Playing an injury-plagued Chicago team at home, Denver struggled to play defense without fouling—allowing 24 free throw attempts. Against Phoenix, Denver shot only 36.7 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from deep. They allowed the Suns to shoot 52.9 percent from the floor. Especially with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, Denver is in dire need of having Jokic available if they want to be competitive on a nightly basis.
Portland Trail Blazers (-5.5)
Portland experienced a dismal beginning to the new campaign, but they have seemingly turned things around during the latter half of November. The Trail Blazers enter play on a three-game winning streak, having beaten the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Philadelphia 76ers at home. They can put the finishing touches on a perfect homestand if they can take care of Denver this evening.
Damian Lillard has put his early season struggles behind him, scoring 25 points or more in five of his last seven games. He has also shot 47.6 percent or better from the field in five of his last seven trips to the hardwood. C.J. McCollum has unsurprisingly been excellent as Lillard’s backcourt mate, averaging 20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. Still, Portland ranks 25th in defensive efficiency on the season and 27th in defensive efficiency over their last eight games. It is hard to win consistently in the NBA without a stronger commitment to getting stops.
Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers Picks
Bettors are faced with an interesting dilemma in this one if they choose to wager on this contest early in the day. Portland has the fifth-best Net Rating in the NBA when playing at home, outscoring their opponents by 10.9 points per 100 possessions. However, if Jokic is in the lineup, it is hard to justify giving the Nuggets 5.5 points on the spread. If expecting Jokic to play, Denver is the smart play for bettors in this one.
PICK: Nuggets +5.5 (-110)
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