Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Odds
| Trail Blazers Odds | +6 |
| Nuggets Odds | -6 |
| Over/Under | 237 |
| Date | Tue, Jan. 17 |
| Time | 9:00 p.m. |
| TV | Altitude Sports |
On Monday night, the Portland Trail Blazers will travel into the altitude to play the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Ahead of tip-off, Portland (21-22) owns the final play-in position in the Western Conference, trailing Denver (30-13) by nine games in the standings. Nevertheless, oddsmakers expect a competitive game script between these two teams this evening, pricing the Nuggets as 6-point home favorites on the spread.
Portland Trail Blazers
Road woes
Playing away from the Moda Center this year, Portland is 10-14, ranking 20th in the NBA in Net Rating – having been outscored by 3.6 points per 100 possessions. The Trail Blazers have struggled to defend without fouling when on the road, ranking 21st in opponent free-throw attempts per game in these situations, compared to 15th in opponent free-throw attempts per game at home. The defense ranks 24th in opponent turnovers per game away from home, failing to force their opponents into many empty possessions.
Travel schedule
Portland is in the midst of one of the more unusual travel schedules in the league this season, playing tonight’s game on the road in Denver, which is their only game away from home in a 21-day span from January 10 to January 30. This past weekend, the Trail Blazers swept both halves of a back-to-back set against the Dallas Mavericks, which ended a five-game losing streak for Portland.
Per TeamRankings.com, Portland is 11-17 this season when they have one day of rest between games
Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray questionable
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Nuggets rank in the 95th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 58th percentile in defensive efficiency this season when Jamal Murray is on the floor, compared to the 76th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 25th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
If he is out this evening, Aaron Gordon could be in for an expanded workload on the offensive end of the floor. Per CourtIQ, Gordon receives a 4.5% increase in usage this year with Murray off of the floor. In these situations, he is averaging 23.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per 36 minutes of action. In his last three games with Murray in street clothes, Gordon has scored 31 points, 24 points, and 18 points, respectively.
Dominant at home
Entering play on Tuesday, Denver is tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the best home record in the NBA, at 19-3. In 22 contests, the Nuggets rank 3rd out of 30 teams in offensive efficiency, 7th in defensive efficiency, and 2nd in Net Rating – having outscored their opponents by 11.1 points per 100 possessions.
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets – Picks & Predictions
Though both of these teams rank in the bottom-third of the league in pace this season, bettors should expect a high-scoring affair between the Trail Blazers and Nuggets on Tuesday. Playing at home this year, Denver ranks 17th in opponent free-throw attempts per game. In their first 24 road contests, Portland ranks 24th in opponent free-throw attempts per game. There is likely to be an abundance of points scored with the clock stopped tonight, which makes the over worth a small stab for bettors.
PICK: Over 237 (-110, FanDuel)
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