NBA Expert Picks: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets

Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets
Sunday, 4/14/13, 5:00 PM EST, TV: ALT2
Opening Point Spread: Denver -14
Current Betting Line: Denver -14
Opening Total: 208.5
Current Total: 208.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Portland Trail Blazers are 0-5-1 ATS in April

Portland has dropped 10 consecutive games, including a 106-80 setback to the Oklahoma City Thunder last Friday night, while going UNDER the posted total of 206. The Trail Blazers have allowed an average of 108.1 points on 51.7 percent shooting over their current skid. “We didn’t create shots and were loss with the turnovers,” commented Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts. Rookie point guard Damian Lillard continues to impress—ranking second on the team in scoring 19.0 points per game. Portland is 0-5-1 ATS in April, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA picks against the spread Sunday.

Six of the last seven meetings between the Trail Blazers and Nuggets have been decided by fewer than 10 points, including the last four. Portland hasn’t lost a season series to Denver since the 2009-10 campaign. The franchise has lost its last eight trips to the Mile High City, while at least one team has scored 100-plus points in the last seven meetings. Power forward Lamarcus Aldridge has averaged 25.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games versus the Nuggets during the 2012-13 NBA campaign.

Denver had its five-game winning streak snapped last time out, as it suffered a 108-105 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks as three-point road favorites, while going OVER the posted total of 209. The Nuggets have won a franchise-record 21 straight home games by an average of 12.2 points, as they’ll look to improve upon their dominating 36-3 mark inside this building. Denver is 6-4 ATS as home favorites of 12.5 to 15 points the last two-plus seasons, while the UNDER is 6-3-1 in that situation.

The Nuggets have won 26 of their last 38 games overall against the Trail Blazers, which is important to consider when looking over the NBA betting lines. Denver currently sits at 54-25 on the season, tying its all-time wins mark in a single season. Despite numerous injuries to its roster down the stretch, the squad has shown some resiliency, with Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer each averaging over 20 points in their last three games.