The toughest place to play in the NBA is the home of the Denver Nuggets because of the altitude. The worst possible situation for a visiting team is to also have to play the night before traveling to Denver. That’s what faces the Utah Jazz on Thursday and why they are solid NBA lines underdogsc.
How to Bet Jazz vs Nuggets NBA Betting Lines & Game Info
📹| @rudygobert27 ⤵️
20p | 13r | 4b | 2a | 8-10 ft pic.twitter.com/tCHSzNsSST — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) 28 de febrero de 2019
- When: Thursday, 10:30 PM ET
- Where: Pepsi Center
- TV: NBA TV
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Betting Lines: Denver Nuggets -7 (Total 223)
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Season Series
They have split two meetings, each winning at home. The one in Denver was back on Nov. 3 and the Nuggets prevailed 103-88. Gary Harris scored 20 points and Malik Beasley and Mason Plumlee hit key 3-pointers in a fourth-quarter flurry. The Nuggets outscored the Jazz 35-15 in the fourth, including an 18-0 run.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic flirted with a triple-double but finished three points shy of the mark. Jae Crowder scored 21 points off the bench for Utah. The Jazz got a scare when guard Donovan Mitchell left the game in the fourth quarter with a left ankle injury. However, he was able to return.
Why Bet on Utah?
Entering Wednesday’s game vs. the Clippers, the Jazz has gone 13-5 in the back half of their schedule and Utah’s schedule should continue to play in the team’s favor down the final stretch – except for this one. Of the 22 games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Jazz will play just eight of those contests against teams currently sitting in a playoff spot, which includes the Nuggets.
The remaining 14 games will come against teams that are sitting at the bottom of their respective conferences and on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, including the Phoenix Suns three times, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks. So far this season, the Jazz have posted a 19-7 mark against teams below .500, which is much better than their 14-19 mark against teams at or above .500.
Utah isn’t a team that plays fast, ranking 14th in the NBA in pace, at 100.65 possessions per game. The team is are second-to-last in fast-break points as a percentage of overall scoring (their 8.9-percent mark is better only than the Pistons). On the flip side, the Jazz are one of the league leaders in assist percentage (fourth), as well as in percentage of points via free throws (sixth) and 3-pointers (10th), and that they’re in the top half of the teams in percentage of points coming in the paint and off of turnovers (both 14th).
The Jazz has won their past seven games when their bench has scored at least 40 points. The team is also 7-0 when the reserves make at least 10 3-pointers. Utah’s bench currently ranks second in the NBA in three-pointers made, trailing San Antonio. Jae Crowder and Kyle Korver currently rank sixth and eighth in the NBA, respectively, in three-pointers made off the bench this season.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 110.12
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.16
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.75
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.78
- Total Rebounds: 45.80
Defense
- Total Score: 106.88
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.46
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.78
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.05
- Total Rebounds: 42.65
Why Bet on Denver?
The Nuggets enter on a five-game winning streak following a 121-112 home win over Oklahoma City on Tuesday. They improved to 3-0 against the Thunder this season, clinching the four-game season series between the Northwest Division rivals.
Paul Millsap, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, delivered a huge block in the fourth quarter to help blunt Oklahoma City’s comeback and in the late going grabbed an offensive rebound and put back a key layup. Millsap is rolling, double-doubling in four straight games, and averaging 16.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers over his last five.
Nikola Jokic hit 11-of-25 shots, 4-of-7 3-pointers and 10-of-13 free throws on his way to 36 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and a block on Tuesday. Jamal Murray hit 8-of-15 shots and four 3-pointers for 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and just one turnover in 33 minutes. Will Barton hit 9-of-16 shots, 1-of-4 3-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws for 23 points, three rebounds, and five assists. Barton hadn’t scored more than 14 points in his previous seven games.
Denver is an NBA-best 27-4 at home and has won eight straight games the Pepsi Center, which is their second largest home winning streak of the season (previously won 12 straight from 11/15 to 1/13). The Nuggets also own a record of 17-2 in Denver against Western Conference teams.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 112.35
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.11
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.66
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.27
- Total Rebounds: 46.78
Defense
- Total Score: 106.93
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.74
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.09
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.72
- Total Rebounds: 41.83
Game Trends
- Under is 14-3 in the last 17 meetings in Denver
- Home team is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings
- Favorite is 49-24-3 ATS in the last 76 meetings
- Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah’s last 5 games on the road
- Denver is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
- Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver’s last 11 games at home
Expert NBA Betting Prediction
Utah Jazz 102 – Denver Nuggets 110
