The Denver Nuggets (14-10) travel to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (8-18) on Thursday, December 19th. This game will be played at Moda Center in Portland and televised on KATU. The Nuggets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Trail Blazers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Trail Blazers. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers

The Nuggets Are Coming Off A Win

Denver improved to 14-10 on the season with a 130-129 win over the Kings on Monday. The Nuggets were +1 point underdogs heading into the game and covered the spread with the win. The total score of 259 points exceeded the O/U line of 237.5 by 21.5 points.

Denver started strong, going on a 13-0 run to take the lead early, but the Kings fought back, outscoring the Nuggets 82-55 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Denver entered the 4th quarter down 103-96 but rallied by outscoring Sacramento 34-26 in the final period to secure the win.

The Trail Blazers Are Coming Off A Win

Portland’s season record dropped to 8-18 after a 116-109 road loss to the Suns on Sunday. The Trail Blazers entered the game as +11 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 225 fell short of the 230.5 O/U line.

Portland’s 10-0 run turned a 37-27 deficit into a 47-37 lead, but they couldn’t hold on. They cut the Suns’ lead to 83-79 going into the 4th quarter but were outscored 33-30 in the final period.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

Jamal Murray’s 28 points and 6 assists, including 4 made threes at a 50% clip, helped the Nuggets secure a 130-129 win over the Kings. Aaron Gordon contributed 24 points on 64.3% shooting, while Nikola Jokic added a triple-double with 20 points, 13 assists, and 14 rebounds.

Denver shot 50% from the field and made 10 threes at a 35.7% rate. Murray scored 15 points in the 4th quarter, while Gordon added 14 in the 1st. Jokic also added 7 points in the final period.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers with 20 points and 5 assists in their 116-109 loss to the Suns, hitting 4 threes at a 40% rate. Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant each added 17 points, with Avdija shooting 66.7% from the field and connecting on 3 threes at 60% efficiency.

Portland made 15 threes as a team, but shot just 30.6% from beyond the arc. Their overall field goal percentage was 44.7%. Simons scored 10 points in the 4th quarter, while Avdija added 8 in the 3rd.

Nuggets Team Defense

Despite giving up 129 points, the Nuggets managed to secure the win over the Kings. Denver’s defense was solid in the 1st and 4th quarters, allowing just 21 and 26 points, but they struggled in the 2nd, giving up 47 points. Sacramento shot 48% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Nuggets held the Kings to 34% shooting, with Sacramento hitting 12 threes. Denver sent the Kings to the line 20 times, where they made 19 free throws. The Nuggets finished with 40 defensive rebounds, allowing 11 offensive boards, and recorded 9 steals and 4 blocks.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

Defensively, the Nuggets had a tough 2nd quarter, giving up 47 points, but they managed to hold the Kings to 26 points in the 4th quarter, helping them secure the win. Overall, Denver allowed Sacramento to shoot 48% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Nuggets limited the Kings to 12 made threes on 34% shooting. Denver also sent Sacramento to the line 20 times, where they made 19 free throws. The Nuggets finished with 9 steals and 4 blocks.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers Trends

• In their last three road games, Denver has averaged 128 points per game while allowing 120. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• In their last three games at home, the Trail Blazers have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 104 points per game in this stretch.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have a straight up record of 0-3 and an ATS mark of 2-1.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Nuggets have gone 3-6-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 5-5.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +9, we have the Trail Blazers as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 233.5 and our model has the Nuggets and Trail Blazers finishing with a combined 280 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.