Kevin Durant and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder put their four-game winning streak on the line tonight when they travel to the Pepsi Center for a Northwest Division showdown with the Denver Nuggets. Can the Thunder keep rolling? Or will the feisty Nuggets protect their home floor?
[sc:NBA250 ]Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this matchup. And while you’re it, check out our preview of the Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat.
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
When: Tuesday, January 19, 2016, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5) vs. Denver Nuggets (+8.5); total: 212.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ALT, FSOK, C+ D
Betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder (30-12)
[sc:NBA240banner ]Everyone’s wearing smiles in Oklahoma City right now, as the Thunder have been getting it done in their last 10 games. During that stretch, they’ve gone 8-2 and are currently on a four-game winning streak heading into their Northwest Division collision with the Denver Nuggets.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are the reasons for this success. The two All-Stars continue to lead the way for their squad, averaging 24.2 PPG and 26.5 PPG respectively this season. Westbrook, in particular, has been even more impressive in January with numbers of 17.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 10.6 APG through nine games. He’ll also be trying to notch his third-straight triple-double performance later at Pepsi Center.
Over on defense, the Thunder ought to really focus on their inside defense since the Nuggets are posting 43.2 points in the paint per game, which is among the highest in the league. That said, the pressure is on Serge Ibaka, who carries a team-best of 2.3 BPG, to prevent the opposition from getting those offensive rebounds and serving as that intimidating defensive presence all throughout.
OKC is 7-3 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Despite holding a mediocre record, the Denver Nuggets are still playing with all their might. In their previous six games, they’ve managed to come out on top four times. That includes a thrilling two-point win over the reigning champions Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night and a 129-126 victory over the visiting Pacers last Sunday. Up next on the Nuggets’ schedule is a date with the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder.
Key to their success will ultimately depend on how well they can stop the Thunders’ dynamic one-two punch in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who are both posting almost 30 points per game this season. Denver marches into this game with a defense that’s averaging 103.4 points allowed per game, among the most in the league right now.
Besides defense, they desperately need to muster all the points they can get to match up with Oklahoma City’s high-powered offense (108.5 PPG). That being said, look to the pair of Danilo Gallinari and sixth-man Will Barton to lead the charge in doing so.
Gallinari boasts a team-best of 18.8 PPG and has finished with more than 20 points in his past eight games. Barton, meanwhile, continues to give the Nuggets a big boost off the bench with averages of 15.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 2.5 APG this year. He also delivered 19 points (8-of-16 shooting), five rebounds and five assists during his last game versus OKC.
Denver is 5-5 SU and 5-4-1 ATS in its last 10 home games.
