Free NBA Picks and Odds: Denver Nuggets at Utah Jazz on TNT Expert Predictions – NBA Betting Preview 3/3/11: Newly acquired point guard Raymond Felton will lead the surging Denver Nuggets on the road to the Energy Solutions Arena to take on Al Jefferson and the struggling Utah Jazz on Thursday night at 10:30 PM ET on TNT sports. Utah has lost 2 in a row and 8 of their last 10, while now sitting at 32-29 – 4th in the Northwest – and down to 10th in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 2 spots out of a playoff berth while the Nuggets have won 2 in a row and 4 of 5 since trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. Denver enters the game at 36-26 good for 2nd in the Northwest and currently the fifth seed if the playoffs were to start today.
“We’re playing together and we’re winning right now,” said guard Ty Lawson, who had 14 points and 10 assists in their last outing. “That’s fun for everybody. There’s no sticky hands out there. We’re passing the ball, getting everybody involved. It feels a lot better when everybody is happy. The bigs are happy. The wings are happy. Everybody is touching the ball, and that’s the way basketball should be played.” “I know the other team doesn’t know how we’re going to score because I don’t know how we’re going to score. But we do score. Nice problem,” coach George Karl said. The odds makers at SBG Global have the Utah Jazz a -3 1/2 point favorite at home against the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets are coming off a 120-80 beatdown of the Charlotte Bobcats at home to move to 29-30-3 ATS. The Nuggets had all 5 starters and 2 reserves score in double figures emphasizing Coach Karl’s point led by Wilson Chandler with 16 points. Center Nene Hilario added 14 points and 8 rebounds while Lawson also chipped in with his double double. Denver is just 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Utah. Vegas odds makers have the Denver Nuggets +10000 odds to win the 2010-2011 NBA Championship.
The Jazz are coming off a loss 107-102 at home to the Boston Celtics certainly nothing to be ashamed of moving them to 26-34-1 ATS for the season. Jefferson had a big game scoring 28 points and pulling down 19 rebounds in the loss while point guard Devin Harris added 19 points and 5 assists. Utah is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Denver and the total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games when playing Denver. Vegas odds makers have the over/under for the total score at 211 points combined of the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.
MATCHUP: Denver (36-26) at Utah (32-29)
GAME TIME: 10:30 PM EST
TELEVISION: TNT
Recent Nuggets and Jazz NBA Betting Odds Trends:
Denver: Over is 9-2 in DEN last 11 road games.
Utah: UTA are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 Thu. games.
Under is 6-2 in UTA last 8 home games.
UTA are 8-21 ATS in their last 29 games overall.
Head to Head: Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Opening Vegas Early Odds from Las Vegas
Favorite: Utah -3.5
Total: O/U 210
* These are the Morning Lines at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas
Rich Fritz’s Nuggets and Jazz Free NBA Picks 3/3:
Play Denver +3.5
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