Northwest Division foes will lock horns when the Denver Nuggets (27-45) challenge the Utah Jazz (31-40) at the Pepsi Center. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 27 and can be seen on ROOT-NW and Altitude.
The Nuggets are are hoping for a better outcome after their 99-85 loss to the 76ers on Wednesday. Ty Lawson was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points. The Jazz, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the close 92-89 loss against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Utah still lost despite the best efforts of Derrick Favors, who recorded his 22nd double-double of the season with 26 points and 13 rebounds.
It will be a showdown of conflicting tempos, as the fast-paced Nuggets (ranked fourth in the NBA in possessions per game) will look to push the slow-paced Jazz (30th in possessions per game).
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Jazz had the upper hand in the most recent game, a blowout 104-82 win. Favors put up 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The odds for Denver and Utah are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Nuggets come into this game 27-45 Straight Up (SU) and 30-39-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 5-8 SU and 3-9-1 ATS against divisional opponents.
Over on the other bench, the Jazz have a record of 38-32-1 ATS and 31-40 SU. Despite having a losing record against its own division, Utah is successful ATS in those games with a record of 4-1. The Jazz allow just 95.0 points per game, ranking them first in the league. Blocking shots is an area where Utah has excelled. The Jazz average 6.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league. One advantage for the Jazz could be Denver’s league-high fouls per game average of 22.8.
The Jazz’s win over Denver in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Nuggets in the recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. In these last 10 matchups, Denver held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers four times, with Utah controlling all three of these areas two times.
Predictions: SU Winner – DEN, ATS Winner – DEN
Notes
Utah ranks 26th in points per game with 94.7, while Denver ranks 27th in points allowed with an average of 103.8 given up.
Utah scores an average of 93.4 points per away game (ranked 27th). Denver ranks 29th in points allowed per home game with 102.9.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Nuggets are 15-9 on the season. When the Jazz score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 16-31.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Nuggets are just 12-36 this season. Utah is a solid 15-9 when it reaches the century mark.
The Nuggets have an offensive rating of 100.5 (ranked 23rd). The Jazz rank 15th for their defensive rating of 102.7.
The Denver Nuggets average 99.7 possessions per game and 1.005 points per possession, while the Utah Jazz earn fewer possessions (92.5) but more points per possession (1.025).
Denver has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.5%. Utah is a subpar 10-32 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Denver Nuggets make 21.6 assists per game and the Utah Jazz make 20.0. Denver is ranked 16th, while Utah is ranked 30th.
With 6.0 blocks per game, the Utah Jazz rank fourth in the league. The Denver Nuggets are in the top half of NBA teams for blocking, ranking 13th with 4.7 blocks per game.
Denver is ranked third in offensive rebounding. Utah ranks 19th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Utah makes 7.4 steals per game. Denver is an abysmal 11-35 when it gives up at least 7 steals.
