The San Antonio Spurs (25-6) can extend a 16-game home winning streak when they meet the Denver Nuggets (12-17). Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Dec. 26 and can be seen on ALT and FSW.
The Spurs are expecting a better outcome after their 88-84 loss to the Rockets on Friday. Kawhi Leonard was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-96 win against the Suns on Wednesday. Darrell Arthur claimed his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spurs have emerged victorious in both games against the Nuggets this year, including a 91-80 win the last time these two teams met. Leonard was the game’s top overall scorer with 25 points.
The Spurs come into this game 25-6 Straight Up (SU) and 21-10 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). The Spurs are one of the best in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .483 from the field. San Antonio is one of the best passing teams in the league with an average of 25.2 assists per game. As for the San Antonio defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Spurs. The 88.7 points that San Antonio’s defense allows per game makes them the top defense in the league. San Antonio’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Spurs allow a .421 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league.
In the other locker room, the Nuggets have a record of 13-14-2 ATS and 12-17 SU. Against the Western Conference, Denver is 9-14 SU and 11-11-1 ATS.
In their previous meeting this season, San Antonio beat Denver, bumping its SU record to 9-1 over the Nuggets in their last 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Spurs also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
San Antonio is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio’s last 6 games at home.
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio’s last 5 games when playing Denver.
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver.
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of San Antonio’s last 25 games when playing at home against Denver.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio’s last 6 games when playing at home against Denver.
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver.
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver’s last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio.
Denver ranks 18th in points allowed per road game (101.9 PPG), while San Antonio ranks ninth in points per home game with 103.8.
The San Antonio Spurs are 22-3 in games where they allow fewer than 100 points, while the Denver Nuggets are winless (0-12) when they don’t hit the century mark.
San Antonio is a split 3-3 in contests where it gives up 100 or more points. Denver is a solid 12-5 when it reaches the century mark.
The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 105.8 (ranked 25th). The Spurs rank third for their offensive rating of 107.2.
The Denver Nuggets average 97.5 possessions per game and 1.017 points per possession. The San Antonio Spurs earn fewer possessions with 94.9, but they score more points with 1.072.
San Antonio is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 52.7% (ranked second in the NBA). Denver is an underachieving 4-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
San Antonio ranks near the top of the league in assists at second (25.2 assists per game). Denver is ranked 12th, with 22.3 assists per game.
The San Antonio Spurs average 5.8 blocks per game for a rank of sixth. The Denver Nuggets rank lower (15th), earning 4.9 blocks each game.
San Antonio is ranked 24th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Denver ranks 20th in defensive rebounds.
Denver makes an average of 7.2 steals per game. San Antonio has a tremendous 16-4 record when it allows at least 7 steals.
