The Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets take the court for a matchup on Tuesday in the national spotlight. Both teams are aiming to contend in the Western Conference with winning records in 2021-22. Portland is 9-8 overall and an impressive 8-1 at home. Denver is also 9-8 but just 2-5 away from home this season. Nikola Jokic (wrist) is listed as questionable for Denver, with Michael Porter Jr. (back) and Jamal Murray (knee) ruled out. Portland’s injury report is clean for Tuesday’s game.
Tipoff is at 10 p.m. ET in Portland. Caesars Sportsbook lists Portland as a 5.5-point favorite at home, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 212.5 in the latest Nuggets vs. Blazers odds. Before locking in any Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 6 of the 2021-22 NBA season up over $1,200 on all top-rated NBA picks this season. It’s also on a stunning 115-76 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread that dates back to last season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Nuggets vs. Blazers and released its picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds, betting lines and trends for Blazers vs. Nuggets:
- Nuggets vs. Blazers spread: Blazers -5.5
- Nuggets vs. Blazers over-under: 212.5 points
- Nuggets vs. Blazers money line: Blazers -230, Nuggets +190
- DEN The Nuggets are 7-10 against the spread this season
- POR: The Blazers are 7-10 against the spread in 2021-22
Featured Game | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets
Why the Nuggets can cover
Denver is tremendous when shooting inside the 3-point arc, making 55 percent of 2-point attempts. That figure ranks No. 3 in the NBA, and the Nuggets are better than league average in assists (23.6 per game) and turnovers (13.8 per game). Portland is No. 25 in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 110.4 points per 100 possessions, and the Blazers are No. 28 in shooting efficiency allowed. Moreover, the Blazers struggle mightily to prevent assists (25.9 assists allowed per game) and Portland forces a turnover on only 13.4 percent of defensive possessions.
As such, the Nuggets can expect to score consistently in this game, and Denver is playing well on defense. Michael Malone’s team is giving up only 1.05 points per possession this season, with the No. 2 mark in the NBA in defensive rebound rate (75.7 percent) and a league-leading mark in second-chance points allowed at 9.9 per game. Opponents are also shooting only 32.4 percent from 3-point distance against the Nuggets, which is key against Portland’s attack.
Why the Blazers can cover
Portland is excellent on the offensive end. After a slow start, the Blazers are now No. 5 in the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring 110.9 points per 100 possessions. Portland is No. 6 in the NBA in true shooting percentage (56.9 percent), with the Blazers shooting 45.8 percent from the floor, 35.7 percent from 3-point range and 79.8 percent from the free-throw line. Portland is above-average in assists (23.6 per game) and turnover rate (14.2 percent), and Damian Lillard owns per-game averages of 27 points and seven assists over the last seven seasons.
On defense, the Blazers are more vulnerable, but they have been excellent on the defensive glass. Portland leads the NBA with a 76.5 percent defensive rebound rate, and opponents are picking up only 11.4 second-chance points per game. Portland is also very good at preventing free-throw attempts, and Denver is No. 29 in the NBA in producing only 16.8 free-throw attempts per game on the offensive end.
How to make Blazers vs. Nuggets picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 216 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 70 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Nuggets vs. Blazers? And which side of the spread hits in almost 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
