Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Preview
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver
When: Thursday, December 15, 2016, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Portland Trail Blazers (+1.5) vs. Denver Nuggets (-1.5); total: 220.5 – view all NBA lines
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Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (+1.5)
The Portland Trail Blazers finally snapped their four-game losing skid with a comprehensive 114-95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. Six players scored in double-figures for the Blazers who moved to within three games of the aforementioned Thunder for the top spot in the Northwest Division standings.
Leading the way for Portland in this critical home win was Damian Lillard. He scored 17 points and dished out nine assists in just 30 minutes of action. He shot 7 of 13 from the field and a perfect 2 for 2 at the free throw line in the win against the Nuggets. Lillard has been a vital cog in Portland’s success this season, leading the team not only in scoring (27.3 PPG), but also in assists (5.8 APG) as well.
The Blazers will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with the Nuggets tonight. They will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Nuggets of late. The Blazers have won each of their last five games against the reeling Nuggets. The Blazers have already beaten the Nuggets twice this season, defeating them by an average of 4.5 points.
The Blazers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the Denver Nuggets (-1.5)
The Denver Nuggets ended their six-game road trip on a sour note as they crashed to a humiliating 112-92 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. They simply had no answer for Wes Matthews who scored 25 points for the last-place Mavs. As a result of that loss, the weary Nuggets finished their trip with a woeful 2-4 record.
The Nuggets will look to turn things around at Pepsi Center where they are only 3-7 this season. They have struggled mightily in this building of late, losing each of their last three home games. For the Nuggets to open their three-game home stand with a victory against Portland, they need to improve on their play on the offensive end. They shot just 42 percent from the field in the loss to Dallas with their starters getting outscored 80-37.
Their defense will also need to buckle up if they are to beat Portland tonight. Denver allowed Dallas, the NBA’s worst-shooting team coming in at 41.5 percent, to shoot an incredible 65 percent in the first half and a season-high 58 percent for the entire game. They can ill afford such a defensive effort against a high-powered Portland offense that’s averaging 109.8 points per game this season, fifth-best in the NBA.
The Nuggets are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Blazers (+1.5) win, 107-101.
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