The Nuggets are playing the second of back-to-back games, while the Kings are hoping to get the fourth straight home victory. 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 Sacramento Kings
Spread: Denver Nuggets -7 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 207 points (-110)
The Nuggets are looking to bounce back after Sunday’s defeat to the Lakers
The Denver Nuggets are still in California on their current road trip and are hopeful to respond following Sunday’s 109:127 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, their third consecutive away defeat. Denver has not been consistent so far in the season, but they are in the playoff picture at the moment with the 9-7 record as they are in the sixth position in the Western Conference.
The Nuggets were down by 22 points at halftime at Staples Center, allowing the Lakers 70 points, and already at that point, it was evident that Mike Malone’s side will not be able to make a comeback. Denver committed even 21 turnovers in opposite to Los Angeles’ 15 and recorded 18 assists fewer than the hosts (18-36), so it is no wonder why they suffered a blowout loss here. Gary Harris led the Nuggets with 20 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3PT), Wilson Chandler added 17 points and four rebounds, while Will Barton posted 12 points and five boards. Emmanuel Mudiay contributed with ten points, team-high seven dimes, and team-high three steals, while fellow point guard Jamal Murray had ten points, four boards, and a couple of thefts. Mason Plumlee chipped in with ten points, four rebounds, and season-high four rejections, while Trey Lyles had ten points and eight boards. Denver’s best player Nikola Jokic was ejected in the first half, and he ended the tilt with six points and six rebounds, and I expect him to be highly-motivated at Sacramento and dominate the floor against the weak the Kings’ frontcourt. Plumlee is also a player to watch in case Paul Millsap is unable to perform, and the former Trail Blazer could be on the way for a double-double on this one. Harris, Barton, and Chandler all have favorable matchups, and I think they should reach double digits without problems.
Mike Malone and Nikola Jokic were both ejected after yelling at referees, and while coach’s ejection was righteous, it seemed that the refs made a mistake with Jokic, which directly affected the final outcome of the tilt. Malone is more concerned with Paul Millsap’s wrist, as the former Hawks injured his left hand in the first half and didn’t return to the floor. The results from the X-ray are still unknown, but in case Millsap is out for Monday, Trey Lyles, Mason Plumlee, Juancho Hernangomez, and Kenneth Faried will see increased minutes. The Nuggets are scoring 108.47 points per contest on average (8th in the NBA), while they are allowing 105.40 points in return (16th in the NBA). Denver is among the best ten teams in the league (6th) when it comes to field goal percentage (47.00%), and shooting from the perimeter (9th) as they average 37.47%.
Place: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Date/Time: Monday, November 20th, 2017, 10 PM ET
TV Coverage: NBCSCA, ALTITUDE, NBA TV CANADA
The Kings are eager to extend the current home winning streak to four matches
The Sacramento Kings bounced back after a disastrous 46-point defeat to the Atlanta Hawks with a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center, but Dave Joerger’s side lost the following tilt with the Blazers in Portland, 90:102. Sacramento is among the weakest teams in the NBA at the moment, as only three other have the worst record than their 4-12, and is clear that they will fight with Dallas and Phoenix at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Sacramento had a terrible 38.2% from the field in Portland, and the Kings recorded eight rebounds fewer than the Blazers (36-44), four blocks in opposite to Portland’s eight, and just 14 assists comparing to the rival’s 19. Committing only 11 turnovers didn’t help Joerger’s team to secure consecutive victory, but they will have a chance against the Nuggets who aren’t playing well on the road in this campaign. Willie Cauley-Stein displayed another strong performance as he led the Kings with 18 points, game-high nine rebounds, and game-high three steals, while Zach Randolph followed him with 17 points and five boards. Frank Mason added a career-high 13 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 12 points, George Hill contributed with 12 points, four rebounds, and a couple of thefts, while De’Aaron Fox finished with 11 points and two steals. Cauley-Stein is facing a difficult matchup with Nikola Jokic in the paint, but Randolph could benefit from a potential Paul Millsap’s injury to make his contribution below the rims. Bogdanovic, Hill, and Fox are the ones who should create plays and score points, but none of them is playing on a high level thus far in the season, and if they continue to struggle on Monday, the Kings will have a lot of problems to beat the Nuggets.
Dave Joerger will likely be without a shooting guard Buddy Hield who sprained his right ankle in a win over the Blazers, and he already missed the following tilt with Portland, so if he is sidelined for this clash, Bogdanovic and Garrett Temple will see more minutes on the floor. Vince Carter is still absent with kidney stones and is not expected to return this month. The Kings are scoring 92.88 points per contest on average (30th in the NBA), while they are allowing 105.25 points in return (15th in the NBA). Their offense has been terrible this year, while the defense is not bad, but it is a big question whether the Kings will be able to limit the high-flying Denver’s offense and keep them to under 105 points, which could be enough for a victory.
Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings Trends & Prediction
The Nuggets are 6-10 against the spread (1-6 away), while they are 7-9 on over/under (3-4 away), so playing on them on the road is quite tricky, and I would go with OVER rather than with the spread on this one.
The Kings are 5-9-2 against the spread (4-2 home), while they are 7-9 on over/under (2-4 home), and although they are playing much better at Golden 1 Center than on the road, I am not sure Sacramento is good enough to beat the Nuggets, so I’d go with the points here.
My Pick: Pass
Total: Over 207 points (-110)
