Charlotte picked up an important win Sunday, spoiling Kyrie Irving’s first home game this season to pull the Hornets even with the Brooklyn Nets for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte will now return home for a back-to-back and try to pick up a win against a solid Denver team, hoping to continue its ascent up the standings in the Western Conference.
While the Nuggets are only 5-5 over their past ten games, they sit one game behind Utah for fifth place. The Jazz have fallen off recently, dropping their past four games. NBA picks will show if Denver can take advantage of its rivals tumbling down the standings by grabbing a road victory to pull themselves back up.
Last Game Records
Denver beat Oklahoma City 113-107 on March 26. The Nuggets are 44-31.
Charlotte beat Brooklyn 119-110. The Hornets are 39-36.
Matchup Information
Let’s look at betting stats NBA for more information about the game.
Nuggets at Hornets Betting Analysis
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic has been doing everything in his power to drag Denver into a better position. Jokic, who has led the Nuggets in scoring for 12 consecutive games, is 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 26.3 points per game. Jokic is also second in the league in rebounding, pulling down 13.5 per contest, and his 7.9 assists per game are eighth-best in the league.
Jokic’s energy surge has provided a lift for what could be a good next month for Denver. Point guard Jamal Murray is playing with the Nuggets’ G-League team and could be close to a return. Murray’s return would provide a boost to an offense with a lot of players who can score.
Small forward Will Barton and power forward Aaron Gordon are second and third on the team in scoring, each averaging 14.6 points per game.
Denver’s biggest area of concern against a team like Charlotte is on defense. The Nuggets have allowed their opponents to shoot 46.8 percent from the field, which ranks 22nd in the league. Denver doesn’t typically allow its opponents to shoot well from the perimeter, limiting their foes to 34.4 percent shooting from the outside.
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte has won two straight and have been consistently leaning on its excellent offense all season to cover up a mediocre-at-best defense. The Hornets score 114.8 points per game, which is the fifth-best in the league. Miles Bridges has been Charlotte’s most consistent scorer, contributing 20 points per game.
However, Bridgers isn’t the Hornets’ only option. LaMelo Ball (19.8 points) and Terry Rozier (19.7) average just short of 20 points per game. Charlotte is especially excellent at shooting from the outside, knocking down 36.3 percent of its 3-point attempts.
The Hornets’ up-tempo attack leaves them vulnerable on the other end of the floor. Charlotte allows 114.4 points per game, which ranks 27th in the league. The Hornets also allow their opponents to shoot 35.7 percent from the 3-point line, which ranks 21st.
Updates
Jamychal Green is questionable for Monday’s game for the Nuggets with a wrist injury. Facundo Campazzo missed Sunday’s game with an illness and may return Monday for Denver.
- Denver is 33-41-1 against the spread.
- Charlotte is 40-32-2 against the spread.
- The over is 40-33-2 in the Nuggets’ games.
- The over is 36-37-1 in the Hornets’ games.
Denver at Charlotte Betting Preview
NBA betting odds have the Nuggets as a 3.5-point favorite. The Nuggets are -155 on the moneyline, while Charlotte is +130. The over/under is set at 231.5 points.
Denver at Charlotte Betting Prediction
Having a weak defense isn’t something Charlotte will envy having against Jokic, who is at the top of his game currently. The Nuggets’ big man is an excellent passer who is especially adept at setting up teammates for good shots. While Jokic is a fantastic scorer in his own right, his ability to pass makes it difficult for teams to double him because of how he finds open shooters.
Charlotte got a big win Sunday by beating Brooklyn in front of an energized home crowd that was seeing the return of a superstar. The question for the Hornets is how can they keep building on their recent winning streak.
Charlotte is likely for sure in the play-in tournament, but how hard will it want to keep pushing down the stretch to try and improve its playoff positioning.
How to bet on Denver at Charlotte
Winning on the road in the NBA isn’t easy. While the Hornets will be playing on a back-to-back, Charlotte has the tools to hang with dinner.
Take the 3.5 points with the Hornets and count on Charlotte to keep things close against a Denver team which has played OK over the past ten games.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.