The Portland Trail Blazers (22-21) are coming into tonight's game following back-to-back wins over the Dallas Mavericks. Their opponents tonight, the Denver Nuggets (30-13), are currently riding high on a six-game winning streak.
The Trail Blazers endured a rough five-game losing skid prior to their Mavericks wins. They will look to build off their impressive showings against the Dallas outfit tonight. Against the surging Nuggets, though, the inconsistent Trail Blazers are likely going to struggle to get the job done.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Match Details
Fixture: Trail Blazers @ Nuggets
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 17, 09:10 p.m. ET
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Injury Report
On the Trail Blazers' front, power forward Justise Winslow is out with an ankle injury. Shooting guard Gary Payton II is probable despite dealing with a sprained ankle.
On the Nuggets' end, power forward Jeff Green is out with a hand injury. Small forward Peyton Watson is out with a left adductor strain. Point guard Jamal Murray is probable despite an ankle sprain. Point guard Collin Gillespie is out with a lower leg injury. Point guard Bones Hyland is questionable due to ankle issues. Small forward Vlatko Cancar is questionable due to a lower leg injury.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Odds & Spreads
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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets Starting 5s
Trail Blazers - PG: Damian Lillard, SG: Anfernee Simons, SF: Josh Hart, PF: Jerami Grant, C: Jusuf Nurkic
Nuggets - PG: Jamal Murray, SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF: Michael Porter, PF: Aaron Gordon, C: Nikola Jokic
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Prediction
The Trail Blazers' have been led offensively by Damian Lillard with an average of 28.8 points per game. The team's offense in general has served them well this season bar some hit-and-miss efforts at the charity stripe. On defense, the team have frequently come unstuck. They have particularly struggled with contesting on the outside.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, are currently No.1 in the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic is leading the way on offense with 24.7 points per game. The team also boast the highest three-point shooting rate in the league right now. On defense, the team is strong on the perimeter, but has a weakness when it comes to shots around the rim.
Overall, even with the recent spate of injuries, the Nuggets are the notably superior team. With the home-court advantage and a good deal of momentum, they should be able to best the Portland outfit tonight.
Prediction: Nuggets -7 (-110)
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