NBA Betting? Blazers vs Nuggets Predictions
Early season NBA betting action sees the Portland Trail Blazers taking on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Pepsi Center. Cappers Picks provides free NBA handicapping tips all season long.
2014 NBA Picks
Portland (13-4) vs. Denver (9-8)
Tuesday, Dec. 2
9:00 p.m. ET
Pepsi Center
TV: Local
NBA Betting Lines: Portland -2.5
NBA Betting Total: 212.5
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Portland
The Portland Trail Blazers have faced off against the Denver Nuggets twice this season. Twice, they’ve dominated their divisional opponents.
So far this season, the Blazers are sixth in points scored and sixth in points allowed. They’re averaging 104.2 points per contest while giving up just 96.2 points per contest.
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According to ESPN.com, they’re fourth in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency. That’s a vast improvement from last season, making the legitimate threats for the first time in over a decade to contend for a championship.
Denver
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The Denver Nuggets got off to an awfully slow start. They won just one of their first seven games, but they’ve recovered nicely, winning eight of their next 10.
Two of those early losses came against the Trail Blazers. Portland managed to win those games by controlling the pace.
In this one, look for the Nuggets to come out aggressive early. They will push the tempo, and they’ll do what they can to tire out the Blazers.
The problem is, while the Nuggets are fourth this season in points per game scored (105.4 per contest), they’re also struggling defensively. The team is just 26th in points per game allowed.
They give up 105.2 points per game, making it difficult to push their record much above .500 with a negative point margin of 0.2 points per contest.
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NBA Handicapping Trends:
- Portland is 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall
- Portland is 7-20 ATS in its last 27 Tuesday games
- Under is 10-4-1 in Portland’s last 15 against Northwest Divisional opponents
- Over is 8-2 in Denver’s last 10 vs. Western Conference
- Denver is 5-2-1 ATS in its last 8 games overall
- Denver is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 Tuesday games
- Road team is 7-1-1 ATS in its lat 9 meetings
- Portland is 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 head-to-head matchups
4* NBA Prediction: Portland -2.5
The Nuggets have looked improved, but the Blazers have consistently been the better team this season. Their only loss in the last 10 matchups has come to the Memphis Grizzlies — the team leading the Western Conference, and the team that has yet to lose to a single opponent out West.
Look for this one to be more tightly contest than the past two matchups between these two, but with a point spread as low as it is, look for Portland to come away with a win both straight up and against the spread.
Check out our Updated NBA Betting Odds.
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