The Denver Nuggets pay a visit to the Smoothie King Center to battle the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Denver Nuggets 

The Denver Nuggets have been in red-hot form to start the season as they’ve won nine of their first 11 games and they will be eager to keep it going after outlasting the new-look Clippers in a 111-108 win on Tuesday. Nikola Jokic led the way with 32 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, Aaron Gordon added 20 points with five assists while Reggie Jackson chipped in with 18 points. As a team, the Nuggets shot 53 percent from the field and eight of 23 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in trouble when they squandered a 13-point lead, but they stay composed an used a pivotal 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter to escape with the hard-fought victory at home. 

Denver Nuggets Team Facts

• The home team has won each of the Nuggets’ last eight games.
• The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games against Western Conference opponents that held a losing record.
• Each of the Nuggets’ last seven road games have gone UNDER the total points line.

New Orleans Pelicans 

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans haven’t been playing at their best lately, but they will be feeling much better after they snapped a five-game slide with a 131-110 win over the Mavericks on Tuesday. Brandon Ingram led the team with 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Jordan Hawkins added 25 points off the bench while Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones scored 19 points apiece. As a team, the Pelicans shot 52 percent from the field and 14 of 38 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with 70 points in the first half to take the early lead, before they exploded for 44 points in the third quarter to take a 33-point lead and put the game to bed early. 

New Orleans Pelicans Team Facts

• The Pelicans have lost each of their last nine games as underdogs after winning as underdogs.
• The Pelicans have failed to cover the spread in each of their last eight games as underdogs after winning as underdogs.
• Seven of the Pelicans’ last eight night games on the first leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total points line.

Peter’s Pick

The Nuggets are still shorthanded with Jamal Murray sitting out, while the Pelicans are still missing CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy and Jose Alverado. The Nuggets have barely missed a step this season and they showed their grit in Tuesday’s tough win over the Clippers, while the Pelicans were really struggling with injuries before their upset win over the Mavericks. I can see why the line would be short in this one, but while the Pelicans looked great in their last win, those performances have been few and far between in this season. The Nuggets are still the more reliable team in this spot and I think they stay hot with another win and cover on the road.