The Denver Nuggets play host to the Houston Rockets at the Ball Arena on Friday night.
The Houston Rockets have been in terrible shape as they’ve lost 15 of their past 16 games overall and they will be hoping to put an end to an 11-game losing streak after falling short to the Jazz in a 132-127 overtime loss on Wednesday. Jalen Green led the team in scoring with 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting, Christian Wood added 24 points with 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals while Kevin Porter Jr. chipped in with 16 points and 12 assists. As a team, the Rockets shot 50 percent from the field and a sizzling 21 of 51 from the 3-point line as they rallied back from an 18-point deficit to force overtime, only to come up short as the Jazz went on a pivotal 13-3 run to pull away and snatch the game from them in the end. Jae’Sean Tate played just 11 minutes before leaving the game with left ankle soreness, while Alperen Segun scored just five points on zero of six shooting off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been in red-hot form as they have won eight of their past 10 games overall, but they will be eager to bounce back in this one after having their six-game win streak halted by the Thunder in a 119-107 loss on Wednesday. Nikola Jokic led the team with 22 points, 16 rebounds and four assists, Bones Hyland added 19 points while Bryn Forbes chipped in with 18 points off the bench. As a team, the Nuggets shot 44 percent from the field and 12 of 46 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in control after taking the narrow lead into halftime, before going ice-cold in the second half where they got outscored by 64-50 to lose big in the end. Monte Morris had a forgettable night as he scored just four points on two of nine shooting while Will Barton scored just six points on one of 10 shooting from the field.
Looking at the betting trends, the Rockets are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games against a team with a winning record, 1-5 ATS in their last six road games and 9-23 ATS in their last 32 games overall. The Nuggets are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games, 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against a team below. 400 and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The Rockets could be shorthanded in this one as Eric Gordon and Dennis Schroder are both questionable for this one and they’ve been the coldest team in the league as they’ve lost 15 of their last 16 games. In contrast, the Nuggets were one of the hottest teams in the league before getting stopped in their tracks by the Thunder in a shock loss in their last outing. The line is quite hefty, so while I like the Nuggets to get the win, I think the Rockets do enough to get the cover in the end.