Lillard Ready for First-Place Denver
The Denver Nuggets have raced to the top of the Western Conference with six consecutive wins. They’ll put that streak on the line Tuesday night against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, who are trying to put together an extended run of their own.
Two of the game’s brightest stars will be in action in Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic, which makes for some fine viewing. It’s also a wonderful matchup for those looking to do some online gambling.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report, and NBA lines for Trail Blazers vs Nuggets. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
Portland Aiming for Return to .500
Lillard is carrying the Blazers of late, averaging 38.0 points over his last five games. He’s posted that same average over the last two, both of which were wins over the Dallas Mavericks.
The back-to-back wins gives Portland consecutive victories for the first time since a three-game run over a month ago. Another win on Tuesday would put the team back to .500 and give the Blazers a split of the season series with Denver.
Lillard averaged 35.0 points and 9.3 assists in the first three matchups with the Nuggets. Consider that history and his recent hot stretch when making a bet online.
“I’ve just been coming out of the gate to attack, getting downhill, getting to the paint,” said Lillard, who has climbed to eighth in the NBA in scoring (28.8).
Nuggets Continuing Long Homestand
The NBA loaded up the early portion of Denver’s schedule with a bunch of road games. The Nuggets kept their heads above water and are now getting to enjoy plenty of time at home, where they are tied for the best record in the league at 19-3.
Jokic’s game-winning 3-pointer Sunday against Orlando stretched Denver’s home winning streak to 13 games, its longest since an identical run to begin the 2018-19 season. The fact that the Nuggets nearly lost one to the young Magic may be a good thing in the long run.
“Not every (win) is going to be a work of art,” coach Mike Malone said. “Not every one is going to be a 20-point win and, honestly, it’s probably good to have a game like this.”
Denver is also trending in the right direction as it pertains to the series with Portland. The Blazers took the first meeting by 25 points. The Nuggets took the next meeting by one point. And then the Nuggets took the third and most recent meeting by 13 points. They’ll be a tough out in the altitude on Tuesday.
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Game Injuries
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Head-to-Head
With a win Tuesday, Denver would clinch the season series for the sixth straight time. The Nuggets have won 11 straight in the Mile High City.
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Game Information
- Game: Trail Blazers (21-22) vs Nuggets (30-13)
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- Day/Time: Tuesday, Jan. 17, 9:00 p.m. ET
- Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Betting Lines
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Picks & Prediction
Denver won its first five games of the six-game winning streak by an average of 19.6 points. It is rested and dominant at home. Don’t worry about the tight one against Orlando, which is an improving team anyway. Take the Nuggets to win another by about 10-12 points and improve to 14-8-1 against the spread at home.
If you’re feeling a bit shy, just jump on the moneyline and add in the under. Portland is consistently below the over/under on the road, while Denver is consistently below it at home.
Denver is listed at -270 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Nuggets, you have a chance to win $37. Portland is at +130, offering a chance to win $220 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Denver a 72.97% chance to win, with the Blazers at 31.25%.
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Trends
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Edge
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Results
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Game Summary
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Previous Game (Dec. 23, 2022)
The Portland Trail Blazers (17-15) cap their six-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets (19-11) on Friday. The Blazers are 1-3 in their last four games while going 1-3 against the spread (ATS). The Nuggets are riding high, going 5-1 in their last six. Plus, Denver snatched the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed after taking down the Memphis Grizzlies 105-91 on Tuesday.
Denver’s Jokic recorded only eight and nine points against the Blazers in back-to-back meetings. However, he bounced back in the latest clash with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Portland is a bottom-third rebounding team and ranks 23rd in allowed points in the paint per game. Jokic is in store for another huge game. Take the Nuggets to cover their second straight.
For the total, the over is promising. Both defenses rank in the bottom third of efficiency. As discussed, Jokic matches up well with the Blazers. Plus, Portland is the association’s most efficient 3-point shooting team, and the Nuggets rank 21st in opponent 3-point percentage.
