Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns Pro Basketball Predictions

Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
Monday, 11/15/10, 9:00 PM EDT
Opening Point Spread: Phoenix -1.5
Current Betting Line: Phoenix -1.5
Opening Total: 218
Current Total: 217.5

The Phoenix Suns haven't lost to the Denver Nuggets at home since PG Steve Nash returned to the Valley of the Sun in 2004

Denver picked up a solid 118-112 win on Thursday night at home over the Los Angeles Lakers and now head into an arena they’ve lost 11 straight times and haven’t won since Carmelo Anthony’s rookie season. The Nuggets were led by Anthony’s 32 points in the victory and the play of an undersized bench early in the fourth was the difference. The team is 5-4 and has played all nine games without big men Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin. “I think we’re in preseason,” said head coach George Karl. “Everybody things it ends after the 28 days of practice, but the way the preseason is run, you got to spend another 2-3 weeks trying to see what worked.” The team is 9-7 ATS as a road underdog of three points or less and the NBA lines page has them getting on the road tonight.

The Nuggets are 6-16 overall against the Suns since the 2004-05 season, including 0-11 on the road. Denver’s 11-game losing streak in Phoenix is their longest active road losing streak against a Western Conference opponent. The road team has won just one game in this series since the end of the 2006-07 season. In scoring a season-high 118 points against the Lakers, Denver improved its record to 5-2 on the season when scoring 100-plus points in a game. The squad has won 45 straight home games when scoring 110-plus points. Over the past 35 road games, the team has gone 14-21 away from the Pepsi Center since December 2009.

Phoenix used a three-point assault to send the Lakers to their first home loss of the season last night, knocking down 22 3-pointers in a 121-116 win at the Staples Center. “You feel like the basket is huge and that every shot you throw up is going to go in,” said forward Jason Richardson. “Coach Alvin Gentry was calling plays for me and my teammates were finding me.” The Suns have enjoyed that type of outside shooting against tonight’s opponent at home, connecting on 47.5 percent of 3-pointers in the 11-game run. Phoenix was able to outscore Los Angeles by a 66-27 margin from beyond the arc, which overshadowed the team getting out-rebounded, 49-32. The team is 4-5 ATS on the season.

The Suns are above .500 for the first time during the 2010-11 campaign and hold an even 2-2 mark against Western Conference foes at home. Phoenix has a perfect 3-0 mark in the first night of a back-to-back and 0-2 record on the second night. The team has won 10 of its last 12 regular season home games dating back to last season and produced a 14-2 home record after the All-Star break. Phoenix’s bench has been a strength early on this season, ranking third in the league by averaging 40.3 points, sitting just behind the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bettors will find that the Nuggets are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games on three or more days of rest, while the Suns are 16-7 ATS in their last 23 games as a favorite of 0.5 to 4.5 points.