Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Odds

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Northwest Division foes will collide when the Denver Nuggets (23-23) take on the Portland Trail Blazers (25-21) at Pepsi Center. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 212 points with Denver set as a 3-point favorite. Action gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, January 22, 2018.

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Odds Preview

The Trail Blazers defeated the Dallas Mavericks in their last matchup, 117-108. Damian Lillard was the games leading scorer with 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Portland’s 0.628 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Dallas, who had a mark of 0.518. The Trail Blazers mark was above their season average of 0.507.

In the Nuggets last game, they were defeated by the Phoenix Suns, 108-100. Jamal Murray was the games high scorer with 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting. Phoenix had a better turnover percentage (10.9 vs. 15.5). Denver, on the other hand, held the Suns to an offensive rebounding percentage of 10.3 (below their season average of 24.4).

Points at the line might be rare for Portland in this meeting. The Trail Blazers currently rank 17th in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.189, while Denver ranks fourth in FTA rate allowed (0.169).

Games involving these teams tend to finish under the O/U total. Portland games have gone under 58.7 percent of the time, while 60.9 percent of Denver games have finished under. Both teams have very similar records straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS). The Trail Blazers are 25-21 SU and 21-21-4 ATS, while the Nuggets are 23-23 SU and 20-24-2 ATS.

These two teams have met twice already this season, each winning once. In the most recent matchup, Nikola Jokic scored a game-high 27 points and the Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 102-85, covering as 2-point favorites. He also put up nine rebounds and six assists. The two teams combined for 187 points, which was 15.5 points below the projected point total of 202.5 points. The Nuggets played a nearly flawless game. They had a ridiculous offensive rebounding percentage of 40.0 and a free throw rate of 0.129. The Trail Blazers were 23.3 and 0.108, respectively, for those same stats.

Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets Betting Prediction

Predictions: SU Winner – Trail Blazers, ATS Winner – Trail Blazers, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • The Trail Blazers rank 11th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.6) while the Nuggets rank 28th (19.5).
  • Portland ranks fourth in three pointers allowed per game (25.9) while Denver ranks 15th (28.8).
  • Denver ranks 12th in steals per game (7.9) while Portland ranks 25th (6.8).
  • Portland averages 5.2 blocks per game, which ranks seventh in the league. Denver ranks 11th in blocks allowed per game (4.6).
  • Denver is 12-10 ATS at home, while Portland is 13-9-1 ATS on the road.
  • Of the Trail Blazers 23 road games, they have 12 unders and 11 overs.
  • In 22 home games, the Nuggets have 14 unders and 8 overs.
  • In games where they allow below 100 points, Portland is 15-4 and Denver is 12-2.
  • The Trail Blazers are 20-11 when they score over 100 points, while the Nuggets are 18-14.
  • The Nuggets average 14.8 second chance points per game, which ranks first in the NBA. The Trail Blazers rank 13th in second chance points allowed per game (11.8).
  • Denver ranks sixth in fast break points per game (13.7) while Portland ranks 29th (6.4).
  • The Trail Blazers rank first in assists allowed per game (19.7) while the Nuggets rank 23rd (24.0).
  • The Nuggets rank third in rebounds allowed per game (41.0) while the Trail Blazers rank 12th (42.5).
  • Denver ranks third in points in the paint per game (48.7) while Portland ranks 23rd (42.0).

Betting Trends:

  • Denver is 1-4 ATS with 5 unders in their last five games.
  • Over their last five games, Portland is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
  • The Nuggets have been outscored by an average of 6.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Denver has defeated opponents by an average of 0.3 points.
  • During their last five games, the Trail Blazers have scored an average of 110.2 points per game (6.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 108.8 points per game (5.7 above their season average).