Hornets vs Nuggets Picks – Nuggets Will Discard Fatigued Hornets
Thursday night’s TNT double-header could have been an enticing Chris Paul-Carmelo Anthony matchup with both teams contending in the West. Instead, only the Nuggets have held up their end of the bargain as the Hornets have been a train wreck this year. Denver will win and cover as the Hornets will continue to be miserable, playing their fourth road game in five nights.
- What: NBA Betting
- When: Thursday, Match 18th – 9:30 PM ET
- Where: Pepsi Center – Denver, CO
- Key Stat: 8-14 since Chris Paul suffered a meniscus tear in his knee
The Storyline - Hornets vs Nuggets picks
The Hornets thought about downsizing last year but instead, online betting cappers saw them pull a 180 and spend money in the offseason. Unfortunately, the acquisition of Emeka Okafor was a disaster and that combined with poor team chemistry and an injury to Chris Paul has torpedoed their season.
For Denver, it’s been all roses for the most part as they are the No. 2 seed in the West currently. But that can change as the Dallas Mavericks are just a half-game back and if the Nuggets slow their pace, they could be bumped to the three-spot.
Offensive Matchups - Hornets vs Nuggets picks
Offense is clearly a problem for the Hornets with Paul out of the lineup. Young rookies like Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton have stepped up at times but this simply isn’t the same team without Paul. Throw in an injury to Peja Stojakovic – when is he not injured? – and you have a struggling Hornets squad.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets are one of the highest-scoring teams in the sportsbook – especially at home. They fill it up regularly at the Pepsi Center and right now, shooting guard J.R. Smith is heating up, which makes this team really tough to stop. Throw in the league’s third-leading scorer in Carmelo Anthony along with Chauncey Billups, and the Nuggets will have a huge edge in the backcourt in this game.
Betting Edge: NuggetsDefensive Matchups - Hornets vs Nuggets picks
The Hornets are not particularly strong on offense and the same goes for their defense, which partially explains why they are just below .500 on the year. They ranked 21st in scoring defense and 22nd in rebounding. They have a -2.0 rebounding differential, which puts them in the basement of the NBA at 26th.
Denver isn’t necessarily much better on defense but they are a better rebounding squad. Their brand of defense is to outscore the other team but they are third in the NBA in steals and 14th in blocks. The Hornets are 29th in blocks at just 3.7 per game.
Betting Edge: NuggetsNotable Injuries - Hornets vs Nuggets picks
The Hornets are banged up as Paul and Stojakovic are out, while James Posey is battling the flu bug but will probably play.
For the Nuggets, they will be without Kenyon Martin, Ty Lawson and possibly Chris Andersen as well as he heals up from an ankle injury.
Betting Edge: NuggetsBetting Prediction - Hornets vs Nuggets picks
,This is a bad spot for the Hornets. They have been terrible on the road this year and this will be their fourth road game in five nights. On top of that, they just lost to Denver at home last Friday, which is another ominous sign.
Sports betting fans should expect the Nuggets to win and cover on Thursday.
