Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 12/8/2022

Time: 10 p.m. ET

Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR

Where to watch: ROOT-SP+, ALT, NBATV

DraftKings: Nuggets -1; Nuggets -120, Blazers +100; O/U 226

FanDuel: Nuggets -1/2 Even; O/U 226

BetMGM: Nuggets -1.5; Nuggets -115, Blazers -105; O/U 225.5

Caesars: Nuggets -1; Nuggets -115, Blazers -105; O/U 226

Nuggets: 14-10

Blazers: 13-11

Nuggets analysis

The Denver Nuggets have hit a snag coming into this Thursday matchup, losing three straight with the most recent being a 116-115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. After winning four in a row and covering all of them, the Nuggets have failed to cover the last three and couldn’t capitalize on a Dallas team playing off a back-to-back and having to travel. In short, it’s not the good Nuggets right now despite getting off to a 14-10 start.

 

Denver is getting the scoring and production it needs. Nikola Jokic shouldn’t be taking just 13 shots and finishing with 19 points, but with Aaron Gordon taking over the scoring load, it helps. To offset that, you need Jamal Murray to be better than going 2 of 11 for just 11 points. Yes, he’s still recovering from that knee injury from last year, but if Denver is going to contend, they need No. 27.

 

“There are no moral victories,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I feel the guys played hard, we competed and gave ourselves a chance.”

 

Denver should be a much better team than it is with the two-time MVP, but Jokic looks to be running out of gas in stretches. The offense isn’t going through just him anymore. They need to get back to that in order to figure out how to run things through Murray and co.

The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to find their way, as well, especially without Damian Lillard in the lineup. But now that the star guard is back, and came back in a strong way with a 116-100 win over the Indiana Pacers, this is the time for the Blazers to get back on track. Portland has won two straight, and covered in both, after losing three in a row to Brooklyn and both Los Angeles teams, with the under cashing in three of the last five.

 

Lillard finished with 21 points on 7 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range, to help supply the tremendous production from Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons, who had 28 and 22 points respectively. If those three are playing at this kind of rate, Portland could have the formula they’ve been looking for since trading CJ McCollum to New Orleans.

 

“It felt good especially coming off last night. We picked up a big win and I just wanted to encourage the team and bring that energy to get us on a win streak,” Lillard said. “I felt normal, I felt good. I think this time it wasn’t as bad as the first time.”

 

The Nuggets have won five of the last seven matchups with the over cashing in all but one – when the Nuggets held the Blazers to 92 points on Feb. 27 and covered the 8.5 easily. The over has also been a dominant play, cashing by double digits in five of the last six overs. The Nuggets could use a road game to get them back on track. Nuggets by 6

Nuggets are 21-9 ATS on the road after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 the last 3 seasons.

Nuggets are 4-13 ATS after 2 straight games where they made 50% of their shots or better the last 2 seasons.

Nuggets are 15-31 ATS revenging a road loss against an opponent the last 3 seasons.

PG: Bones Hyland

SG: Jamal Murray

SF: Bruce Brown

PF: Aaron Gordon

C: Nikola Jokic

PG: Damian Lillard

SG: Anfernee Simons

SF: Josh Hart

PF: Jerami Grant

C: Jusuf Nurkic

Injury report

Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. (heel, out), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (wrist, probable)

Blazers: Gary Payton II (abdomen, out), Josh Hart (ankle, day-to-day), Keon Johnson (hip, out)

Points: Nikola Jokic -- 23.0

Rebounds: Nikola Jokic -- 10.0

Assists: Nikola Jokic --8.9

Points: Damian Lillard -- 25.8

Rebounds: Jusuf Nurkic -- 10.0

Assists: Anfernee Simons -- 4.5