Both, the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, are entering the second of back-to-back matches following respective victories on Sunday. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Nuggets at Knicks
Spread: Nuggets -3.5 (-105) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 207 (-110)
The Nuggets are looking for the third consecutive win on the road
The Denver Nuggets suffered three defeats in the opening four matches, but now they’re on a two-game winning streak after they beat Atlanta and Brooklyn on the road. The Nuggets were the favorites against both the Hawks and Nets, and have slightly better chances than the hosts to leave New York victorious.
Brooklyn led in the first half, but the Nuggets responded well in the third quarter and won the period by 19 points, 40:21. Denver had an excellent field goal percentage (50%), and even 55% from beyond the arc (11-20). They missed only three free throws (19-22), and even though the Nets dominated the boards (56-46), the Nuggets committed only six turnovers in opposite to the Nets’ 15, and that played a critical role in a 124:111 victory. The point guard Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with a season-high 26 points and five assists, and after a miserable start of the season, Murray finally displayed a solid performance that will help him in keeping the starting PG spot over Mudiay. Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds, and this is his third double-double in a row. Wilson Chandler contributed with season-high 18 points, along with five boards, and two steals, while Emmanuel Mudiay added 15 points and five dimes. Paul Millsap is still without a 20-plus point game, but he managed to post his first double-double as the Nugget with 13 points and 11 rebounds, along with five dishes and three blocks, an all-around performance for which he’s known for. The former Atlanta Hawks power forward will have a lot to do on Monday as he faces Kristaps Porzingis in a tough matchup, but Millsap is a good defensive player, and he could create problems to the Latvian sensation. Also in the paint, Jokic will play against Enes Kanter, but the Joker will surely have an easier job as he’s in a great form at the moment.
Mike Malone cannot count on the forward Juancho Hernangomez who will miss up to month due to mononucleosis, so Malik Beasley or the veteran Richard Jefferson could see increased minutes at Madison Square Garden. The head coach is still mulling over the decision whom to start between Murray and Mudiay as both point guards are inconsistent, but for the time being, I think he will stick with Murray, especially after an excellent performance in Brooklyn. The Nuggets are scoring 103.00 points per contest on average, but they are a highly-efficient team, and these numbers will probably improve in the games to come, while they are allowing 102.50 points in return. They are among the top five rebounding teams in the NBA with 47.00 boards per match.
Place: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Date/Time: Monday, October 30th, 2017, 7:30 PM ET
TV Coverage:
The Knicks are hoping to extend the winning run to three matches
After a starting three defeats, including the big ones to Oklahoma and Boston, the Knicks bounce d back with two straight victories over the city rivals Brooklyn Nets, and the reigning Eastern Conference champions the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 114:95 win over the hugely favored Cavs came as a massive surprise, especially considering it happened in Cleveland, the Knicks’ first win against the Cavs since 2014. They dominated from the very start and had a solid 47.2% from the field, along with a fantastic shoot from the perimeter, (13-28) 46.4%. New York recorded ten rebounds more than the hosts (51-41), more assists (27-20), and they had nine steals in opposite to Cleveland’s five. Tim Hardaway Jr. exploded for season-high 34 points (11-19 FG, 5-10 3PT, and 7-8 FT) along with a couple of thefts, and finally displayed a decent performance after four uninspiring matches. Kristaps Porzingis recorded a double-double of 32 points (13-27 FG) and 12 rebounds, as he added a pair of rejections, while Enes Kanter also posted a double-double of season-high 18 points and 12 boards. Another player who had the best game of the season is Courtney Lee who chipped in with a double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds, and he contributed defensively with two thefts as well. Jarret Jack played 33 minutes at the point guard position without notable offensive contribution (1-8 FG), but Jeff Hornacek will probably hand him another start ahead of Frank Ntilikina and Ramon Sessions on Monday.
The guard Ron Baker missed second game in a row with an ankle injury, and he will sit out this tilt, while Joakim Noah is still suspended and it is a question whether he’ll get a significant role upon his return as Enes Kanter is playing very well right now. The Knicks are scoring 100.20 points per contest on average and are in the 24th place in the NBA, while they are allowing 101.40 points in return, and both teams could score 100+ at Madison Square Garden.
Denver Nuggets at New York Knicks Trends & Prediction
The Nuggets won the last five H2H duels with the Knicks, while they also were better in the previous two in New York, scoring 100+ in all five matches. Denver averaged 114.5 points in the previous two road games, while the Knicks averaged 110.5 in the last couple of matches, so I am expecting 210+ on this one. The Nuggets are 2-4 (1-3 away) against the spread, while they are 1-5 on over/under, and that only over came against Brooklyn on Sunday.
The Knicks evidently improved in the offense, and I would be surprised if they don’t score triple digits on Monday, but I am not sure they can beat the Nuggets for the first time in six matches. New York is 1-4 (1-1 home) against the spread, while they are 1-4 on over/under, but better offense from both teams in the past few days will likely produce enough points to go OVER, so I am backing it, even though it is a second of back-to-back games for each side.
My Pick: Denver -3.5 (-105)
Total: Over 207 points (-110)
