San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets Expert NBA Picks 4/16/2019

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Pepsi Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The San Antonio Spurs head to Pepsi Center on Tuesday where they'll take on Gary Harris and the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their series. San Antonio took Game 1 by a score of 101-96. The Spurs (48-34, 2nd in the Southwest Division) cover 53.7% of the time, going 44-38-1 against the spread this year. The Nuggets (54-28, 1st in the Northwest Division) have an ATS record of 42-41-0, so they cover the spread 50.6%. As a favorite Denver covers the spread 50.8% of the time, while San Antonio has covered 50.0% as an underdog this season.

Valuable San Antonio Spurs Betting Trends

The San Antonio Spurs are 44-37-2 against the spread this season

The San Antonio Spurs are 43-40-0 against the over/under this year

Important Denver Nuggets Betting Trends

The Denver Nuggets are 42-41-0 against the spread this season

The Denver Nuggets are 35-48-0 against the over/under this year

Key San Antonio Spurs Injuries

10/08/18 G Dejounte Murray ACL is out for season

Key Denver Nuggets Injuries

No key injuries to report

Player Spotlight

Bryn Forbes comes into this game averaging 11.8 points per contest while playing 28.0 minutes per night this year. He grabs 2.9 rebounds per contest and distributes 2.1 assists per game. His FG percentage is 46% while his free throw percentage is 89%. Rudy Gay averages 13.7 points per contest in 26.7 minutes per game. He averages 2.6 assists per game and 6.8 rebounds per contest. His field goal percentage is 50% for the season while his free throw percentage is 82%.

Player Spotlight

Gary Harris scores 12.9 points per contest while playing 28.8 minutes per game. He hauls in 2.8 rebounds per contest and has 2.2 assists per game on the season. His FG percentage is 42% and his free throw percentage is at 80%. Paul Millsap averages 12.6 points per game this year and he sees the court an average of 27.1 minutes per game. He also brings in 7.2 rebounds per game and has 2.0 assists per contest. His field goal percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is 73%.

Useful Team Statistics

San Antonio averages 111.7 points per contest, which is 18th in the league. Their average scoring margin is 1.7 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a unit, which has them ranked 2nd. From 3-point territory they shoot 39%, which is good for 1st in the NBA. They average 44.7 boards per contest and 24.5 assists per game, which ranks them 21st and 16th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they are 30th with 12.1 per game. The Spurs allow 110.0 points per contest, which is 12th in the NBA. They also surrender a 46% shooting percentage and a 36% average from 3-point range, ranking them 18th and 19th in defensive field goal percentage. Opponents average 43.9 rebounds a game which ranks 7th, and they allow 24.7 assists per game which puts them in 18th place in the league. They force 12.2 turnovers per game which ranks them 1st in the NBA.

Useful Team Statistics

Denver is 20th in the NBA with 110.7 points per contest this season. They are 13th in the league in shooting at 47%, while their average scoring margin is 3.95. They shoot 35% from beyond the arc, which is good for 20th in the league. They are 8th in the NBA in rebounding with 46.4 boards per contest and 2nd in assists per game with 27.4. The Nuggets are 23rd in turnovers per contest with 13.4. The Nuggets give up 106.7 points per game, which ranks them 6th in the league. Their defense surrenders a 46% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the 3-point line, ranking them 15th and 1st in those defensive statistics. They rank 16th with 24.6 dimes allowed per game and 1st with 42.5 boards surrendered per contest. The Nuggets are 14th in the league in forcing turnovers with 13.5 per contest this year.

Advanced Statistics

The Spurs are 7th in the league in defensive rating with 111.2, and their offensive rating of 112.9 is ranked 19th. They are 22nd in the NBA in pace with 98.3 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 53% is 7th. As a unit they are 7th in the league in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3-pointers on 29% of their shot attempts, ranking 30th in the NBA. San Antonio is 29th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11 times per 100 possessions while forcing 11 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 53%, which is 11th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

Denver is 24th in the league in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.9 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.3 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 52%, which is 17th in the NBA. The Nuggets are 6th in the league in defensive rating with 108.9, and their offensive rating of 113 is ranked 10th. They are 27th in the NBA in pace with 97.7 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 53% is 14th. As a unit they are 14th in the league in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 35% of their shot attempts, ranking 15th in the NBA.

Who will win tonight's Spurs/Nuggets NBA game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take San Antonio +5.5

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