Nuggets vs Trail Blazers

NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets on January 17. NBA betting best bet and free pick analysis.

[Nuggets](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/teams/main/denver-nuggets) over the years, and that’s certainly been the case this season. Since then, he’s gone supernova to try to haul the [Trail Blazers](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/teams/main/portland-trail-blazers) back on track. [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/players/743/kentavious-caldwell-pope), a solid defender, should get the Lillard assignment again for large chunks of tonight’s showdown, but that hasn’t overly bothered the Trail Blazers guard in the past matchups. Caldwell-Pope and Gordon give the Nuggets defensive steel, while the Blazers are a better team on that end of the floor when Payton II is available to pressure opposing guards. The Nuggets haven’t just been winning at home during this hot stretch, they’ve been covering the spread too. Despite the potential for offensive fireworks with Jokic and Lillard on the court together, both teams have been trending more toward the Under lately. The hosts are 5-1 ATS in their last six games and this is a short enough spread to feel good about the Nuggets’ superior depth shining through. [Damian Lillard](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/players/748/damian-lillard) got off to a slow start in January, capped by 7-for-24 shooting in a loss to the Pacers. [NBA betting trends](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/matchup/trends/270691) for Trail Blazers vs. Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home games. With Lillard cooking defenses over the past week, I like these odds for another big scoring night. The Portland offense arrives in Denver after good shooting performances over the weekend.

It's not just that they picked up two wins, but they just about passed the eye test in a few key ways. Reducing turnovers was huge, but having both Gary Payton ...

The problem is that Denver leads the league in the field goal percentage and percentage from beyond the arc. For the season Portland is fifth worst in the NBA at 15.6 turnovers per game, but over the last two games they cut it down to 10 per game, good for a tie for 4th place in that category over that stretch. Murray floats through the lane for the layup, and he makes it look effortless. On the other hand, if they can hold on to the ball like they did against Dallas they can give themselves a chance. Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are both between Murray and the rim. And it’s not only the “eye test,”, the numbers clearly back up Murray’s marked improvement over the course of this season. Winners of six in a row and 13 of their last 15, the Nuggets are playing great basketball. One of the reasons the Blazers had a successful weekend was that they cut down their coughing up the ball. If the Blazers exceed their season average in turnovers they are in deep trouble. If the Blazers can somehow slow him down, other Nuggets are more than capable of picking up the slack. It’s not just that they picked up two wins, but they just about passed the eye test in a few key ways. Reducing turnovers was huge, but having both Gary Payton II and Nassir Little on the court injecting energy was also a tremendous boost.

The Portland Trail Blazers (21-22) take on the Denver Nuggets (30-13) on January 17, 2023, at Ball Arena. Find out our overview of the NBA odds series ...

Despite a competitive run in the Western Conference, the Nuggets continue to defy all odds thanks to their young and productive roster. The Trail Blazers have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, with a mix of bucket-getters and defensive specialists. Denver’s bench is also one of the deepest in the league, as Bruce Brown, Bones Hyland, Vlatko Cancar, Zeke Nnaji, and DeAndre Jordan provide valuable offensive contributions off the bench. The Blazers also hold a 114.5 offensive rating, shooting 47.9% from the field and 37.3% in the three-point territory. Denver’s activity on the offense has been made possible by their dominant center Nikola Jokic, who is on the verge of cracking another All-Star honor and a possible third MVP award in a row. With the return of Gary Payton II (probable) and Nassir Little to the fold, the Trail Blazers have still a formidable offensive arsenal. In Portland’s two recent outings, they took advantage of the absences of key players of the Dallas Mavericks to deliver blowout wins. Their first face-off with Dallas was without Mavs big man Christian Wood, where the Blazers struck a 136-119 win, including seven players who cracked double figures in points. Nassir Little, Justise Winslow, and Gary Payton II also hold up as defensive role players for the team. They are currently perched at the number 10 spot in the Western Conference, trailing the Nuggets with nine games. The Comeback Kids from Colorado have won six in a row, and are 13-2 in their last 15 games. Denver looks to maintain its stronghold in the precipice of the Western Conference, just a mere 0.5 games ahead of second-seed Memphis Grizzlies.