NBA Odds: Nuggets (even)
Northwest Division foes will collide when the Denver Nuggets (20-37) play the Utah Jazz (21-35) at the Pepsi Center. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on ROOT-NW and Altitude.
The Nuggets are are hoping for a better outcome after their 110-96 loss to the Suns on Wednesday. Will Barton was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points. The Jazz, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the close 100-97 loss against the Lakers on Wednesday. Utah still lost despite the best efforts of Rudy Gobert, who recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
It will be a showdown of conflicting tempos, as the fast-paced Nuggets (ranked fifth in the NBA in possessions per game) will look to push the slow-paced Jazz (29th in possessions per game).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Nuggets winning the first matchup 103-101. Trey Burke had a standout performance with 18 points, one rebound, eight assists, and four three-pointers in the loss.
The odds for Denver and Utah are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Nuggets come into this game 20-37 Straight Up (SU) and 21-33-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-8 ATS.
In the other locker room, the Jazz have a record of 30-25-1 ATS and 21-35 SU. Against fellow division members, Utah has a 4-4 SU and a 6-2 ATS record. One advantage for the Jazz could be Denver’s league-high fouls per game average of 22.9.
In their previous meeting this season, Denver beat Utah, bumping its SU record to 6-4 over the Jazz in their last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Over the last 10 matchups, Denver held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers four times. Utah performed this feat one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – DEN, ATS Winner – DEN
Notes
Denver ranks 16th in points per game with 99.8, while Utah ranks eighth in points allowed with an average of 97.5 given up.
Utah ranks 26th in points allowed per road game (98.6 PPG), while Denver ranks ninth in points per home game with 103.1.
The Utah Jazz lost their last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, the Denver Nuggets are 4-3. Utah is 4-5 in close games this season.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, Utah has an 18-12 record. When Denver puts up fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 4-21.
When opponents have scored at least 100 points, Utah has an abysmal record of 3-23. When Denver has allowed 100 or more points, it has a split 16-16 record.
The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 104.7 (ranked 22nd), while the Jazz rank 15th for their offensive rating of 103.0.
The Denver Nuggets average a field goal percentage of 42.8% this season. The Utah Jazz have an underachieving record of 8-32 when opponents have a FG% of 42.8% or greater.
Denver averages 23.8 three point attempts per game, and Utah attempts 21.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Nuggets have an abysmal 5-21 record while the Jazz have a 7-8 record.
The Denver Nuggets, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.56, rank 18th in the NBA. The Utah Jazz have a lower A/TO (1.43), ranking 26th.
The Nuggets rank sixth in rebounds per game with 44.9, while the Jazz rank 16th with 43.2 per game.
Denver is ranked 11th in defensive rebounds, while Utah ranks eighth in offensive rebounds.
Denver has forced an average turnover percentage of 13.0% this season. Utah has a losing 13-25 record when its TOV% is 13.0% or higher.
