Denver at Utah
Time: 9 PM ET
Line: DEN -6
M/L: DEN -235; UTA +195
O/U: 203.5
Betting odds courtesy of 5dimes
The Denver Nuggets are 19-17 on the season and will travel to Utah to take on the 12-26 Jazz. Utah has been playing more inspired ball of late, as winners of 5 of its last 10. Still, the visiting Nuggets will be six-point favorites according to NBA oddsmakers at 5dimes.
Denver won big 120-94 over Orlando on Sat night. Randy Foye led all Nuggets scorers with 18, as Denver put seven in double-figures. The Nuggets offense has been potent this season, but not as much as in years’ past. The team ranks 11th in the Association in scoring with 102.6 points per contest, but surrenders 101.2.
Ty Lawson is Denver’s only big minute player, and he leads the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game in 35 minutes a night. The rest of Brian Shaw’s deep rotation extends 10 or 11 men deep on many nights. This model had been effectively employed by Shaw’s predecessor, but the Nuggets are a team that lacks a superstar and that seems to be showing more this year. Wilson Chandler is second on the team in scoring with just 12 points per game.
Utah (12-26) has been bad, but it was expected. The team parted with its starting frontcourt of Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, as the tandem departed in free agency. The replacement center for Jefferson, Enes Kanter, has been a huge disappointment, and Utah is short on scorers. The team ranks 27th in the league in scoring and is relying heavily on a rookie point guard, Trey Burke.
Burke, Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward are the trio that Utah will seek to build around. Hayward has assumed the role of primary scorer for Utah and he averages 17.1 points per game. Burke has an outside shot at rookie of the year with averages of 13.3 points and 5.3 assists per game.
Denver Trends: 4-0 ATS in last 4 following SU win; 4-0 ATS in last 4 overall; 4-0 ATS in last 4 on 1 days rest.
Utah Trends: 0-3-1 ATS in last 4 Mon games; OVER 7-1 in last 8 games following double digit loss at home; UNDER 5-1 in last 6 after scoring 100 or more in previous game.
Head-to-head: Nuggets 5-1 ATS in last 6 in Utah; Nuggets 5-1 ATS in last 6 meetings; OVER 3-1-1 in last 5 meetings in Utah.
