The San Antonio Spurs (35-23), the NBA’s top scoring defense, will clash against the Denver Nuggets (30-26) at Pepsi Center. Action begins at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, and it can be seen on TNT.
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets Odds Preview
The last time the Spurs played, they lost a tough one against the Utah Jazz, 101-99. San Antonio’s Pau Gasol had a good performance, finishing with 15 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Utah had a turnover percentage of 8.5 (better than their season average of 13.2). San Antonio, meanwhile, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.482 vs. 0.482).
The Nuggets come in on a high note after defeating the Phoenix Suns in their last outing, 123-113. Denver rallied around Nikola Jokic, who recorded 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The Nuggets knocked down 20 of their 22 free throws (90.9 percent) and had a turnover percentage of 11.7 (better than their season average of 13.3).
The battle on the backboards could prove decisive, pitting strength against strength. The Nuggets are among the leagues elite on the offensive glass, ranking second in offensive rebounding percentage at 26.1 percent. Meanwhile, San Antonio ranks fifth in the NBA at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 79.3 percent. Also, the Spurs, who rank 23rd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.184), will go head-to-head against the Nuggets, who rank third in opponents FTA rate (0.169).
Of San Antonio’s 57 games with betting action, 31 have finished under the projected point total, while 31 of Denver’s 56 games have finished under the O/U total. The Spurs have the significant advantage straight up (SU) (35-23 vs. 30-26), but both teams are near the .500 mark against the spread (ATS).
Jokic has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Denver, averaging 18.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
These two teams have met twice already this season, with the Spurs winning both. In the most recent game, LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 30 points and the Spurs beat the Nuggets 106-104 but did not cover as 6.5-point favorites. He also recorded five rebounds. The two teams combined for 210 points, which was 7.5 points above the projected point total of 202.5 points. San Antonio had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (31.7 vs. 25.0). Denver, on the other hand, did a great job of making free throws (14-14; 100.0 percent).
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets Odds Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Spurs, ATS Winner – Spurs, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Nuggets rank fourth in points in the paint per game (48.4) while the Spurs rank 20th (42.7).
- Denver ranks first in rebounds allowed per game (40.9) while San Antonio ranks ninth (42.1).
- San Antonio ranks 11th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.7) while Denver ranks 26th (18.8).
- Denver averages 7.7 steals per game, which ranks 16th in the NBA. San Antonio ranks 19th in steals allowed per game (7.8).
- Denver is 16-12-1 ATS at home, while San Antonio is 11-15-3 ATS on the road.
- Of the Spurs 29 road games, they have 18 unders, 10 overs and 1 push.
- Of the Nuggets 29 home games, they have 17 unders and 12 overs.
- Denver is 13-2 when they allow below 100 points, while San Antonio is 23-10.
- When reaching the century mark, the Nuggets are 24-17 and the Spurs are 28-5.
- The Nuggets rank fourth in second chance points per game (14.0) while the Spurs rank 14th (12.7).
- San Antonio ranks sixth in assists allowed per game (21.0) while Denver ranks 26th (24.4).
- The Nuggets rank ninth in three pointers attempted per game (30.2) while the Spurs rank 26th (24.6).
- The Nuggets average 13.7 fast break points per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. The Spurs rank 13th in fast break points allowed per game (11.4).
- San Antonio ranks first in blocks allowed per game (3.7) while Denver ranks 17th (4.9).
Betting Trends:
- Denver is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, San Antonio is 1-4 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The Nuggets average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.2, up from 0.7 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Spurs have scored an average of 107.0 points per game (5.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 105.2 points per game (7.0 above their season average).