Denver Nuggets (14-10) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8-18)
December 19, 2024 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Portland Trail Blazers +9.5; Over/Under: +230.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Denver Nuggets at the Moda Center on Thursday night. Here’s a Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction. This article will include a Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Pick.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have been in decent form as they’ve won six of their last 10 games overall and they will be eager to build on their three-game win streak after outlasting the Kings in a thrilling 130-129 road win on Monday. Jamal Murray led the team with 28 points and six assists, Aaron Gordon added 24 points on nine of 14 shooting, Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double of 20 points with 14 rebounds and 13 assists while Russell Westbrook chipped in with 18 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. As a team, the Nuggets shot 50 percent from the field and 10 of 28 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in serious trouble when they squandered a 23-point lead and trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter before they closed the final 3:55 on a 21-10 run to escape with the narrow road victory.
Portland Trail Blazers
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers have been in a major slump as they’ve lost 10 of their last 12 games overall and they will be hoping to arrest a six-game losing streak after falling short to the Suns in a 116-109 road defeat on Sunday. Anfernee Simons led the team with 20 points and five assists, Jerami Grant and Deni Avdija scored 17 points each while Tounami Camara chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Trail Blazers shot 44 percent from the field and 15 of 49 from the 3-point line as they showed plenty of fight to keep pace with the Suns until the fourth quarter when things got out of hand.
Why the Denver Nuggets will win
- The Nuggets have won each of their last eight games against Trail Blazers teams that held a losing record.
- The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last 15 Thursday games at Moda Center.
- The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight home games when playing with a rest advantage.
- The Nuggets have covered the spread in each of their last four games against Northwest Division opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Trail Blazers’ last six home games against the Nuggets following a road loss has gone OVER the total points line.
- Eight of the Nuggets’ last nine night games at Moda Center have gone OVER the total points line.
Portland Trail Blazers Player Facts
- Anfernee Simons ranks 2nd in the Western Conference amongst qualified players for FT% (91.5%) this season.
- Jerami Grant is one of only 11 qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks this season.
Denver Nuggets Player Facts
- Nikola Jokic ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for points per game (30.9) this season.
- Jamal Murray ranks 24th amongst qualified players for assists per game (6.1) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for Q1 points per game this season (23.6).
- The Trail Blazers rank 30th in the league for H1 points per game this season (51.4).
- The Nuggets rank 1st in the league for assists per game this season (30.8).
- The Nuggets rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (29.5).
Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction
The Nuggets could again be missing Christian Braun and Dario Saric, while the Trail Blazers are still missing Deandre Ayton and Matisse Thybulle. The Nuggets have been playing a little below their best lately, but they would’ve taken so much confidence from their thrilling comeback victory over the Nuggets on Monday, so it’s no surprise that they’re heavy road favorites. The Trail Blazers are capable of hanging around and getting the cover as they did against the Suns in their last outing, but the Nuggets are on a roll at the moment and I think they get the job done on the road.
