The Nuggets are looking for the fourth consecutive win, while the Blazers are hoping to end a two-game losing streak. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers
Spread: Portland Trail Blazers -1 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 209 points (-110)
The Nuggets are in the hunt for the fourth straight victory
The Denver Nuggets won five out of the previous six games, but all of them were played at Pepsi Center, and this visit to Portland will be first in the series of road, as the Nuggets will play ten out of the next 12 away from home. Denver showed an excellent form of late, losing only to the reigning champions Golden State Warriors, but defeating such teams as Toronto, Oklahoma, and most recently, Orlando.
The Nuggets dominated throughout the entire game against the Magic and had a big, 23-point lead at halftime, so already at that point was evident that they will record another home victory. It finished 125:107, more comfortable than expected, thanks to Denver’s 52.9% from the field, and 41.4% from the perimeter. On the other hand, the visitors struggled from three-point range in the first half, and even though they improved after the interval, it wasn’t sufficient for a comeback. The Nuggets recorded 50 rebounds in opposite to Orlando’s 36 and had five assists more than the Magic (29-24). Jamal Murray led the hosts with a career-high 32 points (12-21 FG, 6-9 3PT, 2-3 FT) and four boards, while Will Barton started in the place of injured Gary Harris and scored a season-high 26 points, season-high nine rebounds, and five assists. Paul Millsap posted 16 points, eight boards, eight dimes, and two blocks, Wilson Chandler and Emmanuel Mudiay combined for 25 points, while Nikola Jokic came close to the triple-double with 12 points, season-high 17 rebounds, nine dishes, and game-high four thefts. Both point guards are pretty good recently, and coach Mike Malone is delighted to have Murray and Mudiay at his disposal as they are playing a significant role in the offense. The chemistry between Millsap and Jokic is stronger, and they will be players to watch in Portland as they face the Blazers’ frontcourt with the former Nugget Jusuf Nurkic in charge. Barton will be highly-motivated to display an inspiring performance against his old team, so three of them should lead the Nuggets in scoring on Monday.
Mike Malone couldn’t count on shooting guard Gary Harris in a tilt with Orlando as he sustained a right shoulder injury, but that is not a severe setback and Harris should be back into contention in a few days. He is listed as questionable for the encounter in Portland, but given that the Nuggets are no playing again until Friday, Malone could opt to leave him on the bench as a precaution so that the shoulder could heal properly. Will Barton will get another start at the SG position in case Harris is out. The Nuggets are scoring 107.62 points per contest on average (11th in the NBA), while they are allowing 105.23 points in return (13th in the NBA).
Place: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Date/Time: Monday, November 13th, 2017, 10 PM ET
TV Coverage: NBCSNW, ALTITUDE
The Blazers are desperate to return to winning ways after consecutive losses
The Portland Trail Blazers lost the previous two matches at home, both of them narrowly, and are now hoping to bounce back with a victory over the Nuggets, the ninth in a row in H2H duels at Moda Center. They are 6-6 at the moment, and although the defeat to Memphis can be understood, the latest one to the Brooklyn Nets was a huge disappointment, considering how big favorites the Blazers were.
Losing the third quarter by 13 points proved to be enough for a loss, and D’Angelo Russell’s cool hands prevented Portland from recording a victory, so the Blazers suffered a first defeat to the Nets in five matches. Jusuf Nurkic led them with 21 points and five rebounds, while Damian Lillard followed him with 19 points, game-high nine boards, and six assists, but had 7-16 from the field, so his points in the key moments were much needed. Lillard failed to bring a win to the Blazers, but C.J. McCollum also didn’t have the best of games as he scored 17 points with four dishes, shooting 6-16. Evan Turner contributed with 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and he should lead the second unit on this one as well. The Nuggets are not very well in defending the guards, so I am sure the backcourt duo Lillard and McCollum will respond with around 50 points combined. The pair is averaging approximately 48 points per game, and if they reach that number on Monday, the win could be quite near. However, the most interesting duel will be fought under the rims as Jusuf Nurkic faces a former teammate Nikola Jokic, and that clash could have a great impact on the final outcome.
Terry Stotts is still without Al-Farouq Aminu who is sidelined with an ankle injury, and his absence was evident, especially in the defense where the Blazers were unable to finish off the Grizzlies and Nets in the last two. Amin missed the previous four and will be out for another week, so he is not expected to feature in this tilt. Noah Vonleh will continue to fill the starting power forward spot until Aminu returns. The Blazers are scoring 105.50 points per contest on average (17th in the NBA), while they are allowing 100.67 points in return (6th in the NBA). The defense is a better part of the team thus far, but the offense is fifth in the league when it comes to three-point shooting (38.67%), and third from the free-throw line (82.71%). Portland is at the top of the NBA in rebounding (48.25), while the defense is among the best seven teams in the league in defensive segments such as FG, 3PT, FT, and allowed rebounds to opponents.
Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers Trends & Prediction
The Nuggets are 5-8 against the spread (1-4 away), while they are 5-8 on over/under (2-3 away), but considering their offense at the moment, I can see this one going OVER, even though the Blazers D is among the top ones in the NBA.
The Blazers are 5-7 against the spread (2-6 home), while they are 4-8 on over/under (2-6 home), so despite failing to score more than 97 points in the previous two matches, I think we will see over 100 points from the hosts here.
My Pick: Pass
Total: Over 209 points (-110)
