Suns vs Nuggets Betting Odds – Suns still can’t handle mile-high air in Denver

Online betting players are keeping a close eye on Denver and Phoenix, two explosive teams with only passing interest in defense. The two will meet in Denver on Wednesday night, and the Suns have had troubles hanging with the Nuggets in the high altitude in Colorado. Even if their star can’t go, the Nuggets have more than enough to stop the Suns’ streak.

The Storyline: Suns vs Nuggets Betting Odds
The Suns (29-21) have won three in a row after a shaky January, but rumors are still swirling around the team pertaining to an Amare Stoudamire trade. The Nuggets have won two straight and four of their last five without Carmelo Anthony, who is battling an ankle injury. This is the second meeting of the season between these two, with the Nuggets winning game #1 by a score of 105-99 at home on December 12th.

Offensive Matchups: Suns vs Nuggets Betting Odds
Stoudamire is still productive despite the rumors, averaging 22.2 points in his last five games, and Chandler Frye is another Sun who is playing well right now. Frye’s three-point shooting ability pulls the opposing center out of the lane and makes it easier for Steve Nash to penetrate. The Suns are averaging an outlandish 110.0 points, 2.6 points more than Golden State.

Denver isn’t far behind in third with 107.0 points, and they’re doing it right now without Anthony, who leads the league in scoring. Of course, Chauncey Billups is stepping up his game, but Kenyon Martin has scored 51 points in his last two outings, and J.R. Smith is coming out of a shooting slump that plagued his January.

Betting Edge: Draw

Defensive Matchups: Suns vs Nuggets Betting Odds
The Suns have held their opponents under 100 points just once in their last 17 games, and that was against New Jersey, who are barely an NBA-caliber team. Lately, it’s been costing them big leads, and even though the offense has been saving them, sportsbook players have no faith in the Suns due to their atrocious defense.

The Nuggets should be better defensively than they are, and it all comes down to discipline. Denver is second in the league in steals because they gamble a lot, and they have the big men behind them. When they want to lock it down, they can, led by Billups who has long been one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, but it’s just not consistent enough. They’re still far better than Phoenix, though.

Betting Edge: Nuggets

Notable Injuries: Suns vs Nuggets Betting Odds
Leandro Barbosa (wrist) is out for a month, while Nash (abdomen) has been playing though his injury.

Anthony (ankle) is day-to-day, and could play in this game, but he’s been out for the last five games, so proceed with caution.

Betting Edge: Draw

Betting Prediction: Suns vs Nuggets Betting Odds
The Nuggets should be favored at home in this contest, given that they’re 22-3 at the Pepsi Center, and the Suns have dropped five in a row in Denver. Phoenix is 11-15 on the road, even though they have won the first two of a four-game trip. The Nuggets have a trio of big men that can handle Stoudamire, who had just 13 points in Phoenix’s last meeting with Denver, and even without Anthony (who had 32 points in the December 12th win), they can easily score on the Suns inside and out.

Craig’s Pick: Denver

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