The Denver Nuggets will break up an ongoing eight-game homestand with a quick trip to the Toyota Center this Wednesday night to square off against the Houston Rockets in a clash between two playoff contenders in the Western Conference. The game is set to tip off at 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

Denver moved to 7-2 straight-up in its last nine games with a thrilling 121-118 overtime victory over Oklahoma City this past Sunday as a one-point home underdog. It is now 25-18 SU overall and a profitable 24-19 against the spread. The Nuggets have struggled on the road, where they are 9-15 SU and 12-12 ATS, and the total has gone “over” in seven of their last eight games overall.

The Rockets are coming off a disastrous road trip where they only managed one lone win against six defeats. The slide dropped them to 22-21 SU (21-21-1 ATS) and into the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. Houston is 14-7 SU (13-8 ATS) at home this season, and the total has stayed “under” in three of its last four games.

Nuggets at Rockets Betting Storylines

Denver is currently ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring with an average of 103.1 points a game and second in total rebounds with 45.7, which is always a solid combination for winning games. Defensively, it is ranked near the bottom of the league in points allowed, which could be the reason why 56 percent of its games go over the total line. The Nuggets have put up 110 points or more in five of their last nine games.

One of the main reasons that Denver has had so much success on offense this season is its ability to spread the ball around. The team boasts six different players scoring in double figures led by Danilo Gallinari’s 16.6 points a game. Ty Lawson is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high 6.8 assists, and Kenneth Faried is the team’s leading rebounder with 9.9 a game. A deep bench that features Corey Brewer and JaVale McGee is kicking in another 50+ points a game.

The Rockets are another team that knows how to put the ball in the hoop with the second-highest scoring average in the NBA at 104.4 points a game. They are ranked 11th in the league in rebounds (42.9) and assists (22.4). Their problems mirror Denver when it comes to giving up points as they are ranked dead last in the league in allowing an average of 103.2 points a night.

Houston has six different players averaging at least 10 points a game, but it also has one of the top scorers in the NBA in James Harden. He has come into his own this season with an average of 25.9 points a game. Jeremy Lin has done a fairly good job running the offense with 12 points and six assists, and center Omer Asik is pulling down 11 rebounds a game. Both of these teams are ranked in the top-third of the league shooting the ball, with Houston hitting 45.3 percent from the field as compared to Denver’s 46.5 shooting percentage.

Nuggets at Rockets NBA Betting Odds and Trends

BetOnline has the Rockets as two-point home favorites with the over/under line set at 217.

The Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Southwest Division but only 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU win. The total has gone over in their last five Western Conference games.

The Rockets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against a team with a winning record. The total has gone over in seven of their last 10 games following a SU win.

Head-to-head in this matchup, the underdog is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings and the total has stayed under in three of the last five games. Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last five trips to Houston and 4-0 both SU and ATS in the last four games overall.

Nuggets at Rockets Picks and Betting Predictions

Despite its troubles on the road this season, stick with the hot hand and the past trends in this one as Denver keep things rolling with a SU win on the road. The Nuggets have not only had success covering on the road against Houston, they seem to have their number in general over the past two seasons.

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