The Nuggets had won 15 straight games before improbably losing in New Orleans on Monday night. They must have enjoyed something about the feeling of losing because they did it again on Wednesday night. That second loss was by a single point in San Antonio, though — far more understandable and acceptable than the 14-point debacle in New Orleans. Now the team is looking to get back on the winning track as they return home to a building they haven’t lost in since losing a stunner to Washington on Jan. 18 — a streak of 17 straight wins. Denver is now tied for the best home record in the NBA.

The Nets have a chance at a record of their own. With a win here they will set a team record with 21 road wins on the season. That means that this would be the first time that the franchise has ever finished with a winning road record — a remarkable reality for a team that joined the NBA in 1976.

There is more than just those accomplishments on the line here. Both of these teams are in fourth place in their respective conferences. Denver’s lead is a single game over Memphis, while Brooklyn leads by 2.5 games over the Bulls. Staying in fourth is extremely important because of the home-court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs, so every win here is crucial for both teams as we march towards the end of the season.

Nets at Nuggets Betting Storylines

The circus is in Brooklyn. From March 20 to April 1 the Ringling Bros. are thrilling children of all ages. That has forced the Nets onto the road for eight games — their longest of the season. So far they are 4-1 on the expedition, but that isn’t as impressive as it might sound. They have played just one playoff team in the five games — the Clippers — and they lost by six points. The wins have come against the Pistons, Mavs, Suns and Blazers. While they get credit for winning, they don’t deserve nearly the credit they would if they were actually against good teams. They carry some momentum into this contest, but not as much as the public might think.

The last time these two teams met was on Feb. 13 in Brooklyn. The Nets won 119-108 on that day, but it would be dangerous to draw too much from that result in terms of what to expect here. Danilo Gallinari and Andre Iguodala are both starters and big-minute players, and both guys were out of the lineup. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the lineup here is a better one than the one in Brooklyn (though in this case that is true), but it does mean that key matchups are different than what the Nets have seen, so their ability to handle this Denver team is uncertain. Injuries will again be a factor here for the Nuggets. Ty Lawson re-injured his heel last game and is expected to miss at least this contest. Andre Miller was very strong in relief on Wednesday — 14 points, eight assists and five rebounds in just 28 minutes — so this isn’t a crushing loss. Miller did miss the winning shot at the buzzer, though, so his notoriously vulnerable confidence could be an issue.

The Nets are scoring very well right now, averaging 12.8 more points per game in their last five on the road than they have on the year on the road. If they want to maintain that momentum, though, they are going to have to play well in the paint. No team scores more points inside than the 57.8 per game that Denver does. The Nuggets are a better rebounding team as well. If Denver can assert themselves there, the game could be a problem for the Nets. Reggie Evans had a career-best 26 rebounds last time out, though, so it’s no guarantee that the Nets are in trouble in the paint.

Nets at Nuggets NBA Odds and Betting Trends

5Dimes has opened the Nuggets favored by 6.5 points, with the total set at 205.

The Nets are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings between these teams. All four of those games have gone “over” the total. The Nets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 in Denver, though Denver has won the last five meetings on the scoreboard.

Nets at Nuggets Picks and Betting Predictions

The Nuggets are going to be hungry to get back in the win column after the two losses, and they will be very comfortable back at home after the two-game road trip. They have a good matchup in this one, and I don’t trust the Nets against this level of competition. The Nuggets are the pick.

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