Denver has won nine of its last 10 games against the Thunder and could have star rookie Michael Porter Jr. back in the lineup when it visits Oklahoma City on Friday. The Thunder have won five of their last seven games and own the best ATS record in the NBA.
- Date/Time: February 21, 8 p.m.
- Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena
- TV Coverage: ESPN, Altitude Sports, Fox Sports Oklahoma
- Sportsbook Odds: Thunder -1 | O/U 216.5
- Nuggets vs Thunder Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
If the Thunder close as short home favorites, they should like their chances. OKC is 8-1 ATS this season when favored by 4.5 points or less. However, Denver is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
Denver News & Notes
The all-star break came at a good time for the Nuggets, who went into the break missing three key cogs in their rotation. Shooting guard Will Barton, big man Mason Plumlee and rookie power forward Michael Porter Jr. could all potentially return from injuries on Friday, although Barton is not expected to get the green light quite yet as he works his way back from knee inflammation.
Porter, however, told reporters Thursday that he’s “ready to play again” after missing Denver’s last six games with an ankle injury. “If Michael can come back and be healthy, he’s a guy off the bench that provides a scoring punch, and his rebounding, his size and his length are things that you just can’t replicate,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters. Porter shot 52 percent from the field in January, including 48 percent from behind the arc, and averaged nearly seven rebounds per game.
Malone has emphasized a strong start to the second half for his team as the Nuggets come out of the break just four games behind the Lakers for top spot in the West. Scoring certainly hasn’t been an issue lately for the Nuggets, who have gone OVER the total in six of their last seven games — four of those times by 15 points or more.
Oklahoma City News & Notes
While Denver looks to pick up the pace in the second half, the Thunder simply hope they can pick up where they left off. Oklahoma City won five of its last seven games before the break, and one of those losses came by just one point against the Celtics.
The Thunder rebounded from that loss to Boston and a subsequent defeat against San Antonio by beating the Pelicans 123-118 last Thursday as 3.5-point road underdogs, led by a 29-point performance by Danilo Gallinari.
The Thunder remain the league’s best ATS bet, going a sizzling 36-19 against the number so far, but oddsmakers may be finally catching up. Oklahoma City has covered the spread in just two of its last five games, and the Thunder are 0-3 ATS in their last three games as chalk.
Betting Pick: Nuggets +1
Denver’s clearly the better team here and should be fully focused coming out of the break.
- The OVER is 6-1 in the Nuggets’ last 7 games.
- The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
- The Nuggets are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs the Thunder.
