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The Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets collide in a battle of struggling teams on Thursday at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
The Hawks enter this game having lost five games in a row while the Nuggets have lost four in a row after a blistering 9-1 start. Atlanta lost 110-103 at Golden State in their last game while the Nuggets dropped a 99-109 home game against the Rockets the last time out.
Giving Up Too Many Points
Not much is expected of the Hawks this season. The team is in full rebuild mode and drafted the sharp shooting Trae Young in the recent NBA Draft. But if you take a look at their lineup, the Hawks are still a couple of lottery picks and one established star away from competing for a playoff spot.
Atlanta has opened the season at 3-11 and right now, they are on a five game losing streak. The main reason why they are losing games is because they are giving up too many points to their opponents. The Hawks allow the second most points per game in the league at 117.7. That’s even worse because the Hawks only score 108.9 points per game, 19th in the league.
Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets 11/15/18
Moneyline Odds: Hawks +650, Nuggets -900
Odds from gtbets as of 11/15/18
Getting Back On Track
After barely missing the playoffs in the last two seasons, the Nuggets opened their 2018-19 campaign looking like a team that was ready to take their game to the next level. At 9-1 after 10 games, Denver was among the top teams in the league. But surprisingly, they have lost four in a row including three straight at home.
Who Wins?
The Hawks lead the all-time series between these teams at 48-39 and have won six out of their last 8 meetings. Atlanta swept their two game series in 2016 and 2017 but the Nuggets won 105-100 in Atlanta to force a 1-1 series tie last season.
Denver is much better than their current four game losing streak. Three of the four losses in their current skiz are by a combined 11 points. So it could have gone either way, really. It’s just that the Nuggets didn’t play good defense and didn’t play well overall down the stretch.
On the other hand, the Hawks have a young roster that has played feast or famine. But that’s expected of a young team which is still trying to find its identity. The Hawks know the future is Trae Young but the prized rookie has likewise been inconsistent. Young is coming off a 2-14 shooting night against the Warriors. The game before, he went 4-8 from behind the arc and scored 20 points. The Hawks have struggled on the road this season and the Nuggets are eager to get back on track.
We’re picking the Denver Nuggets to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 11/15/18 but at -900, you might not like that as much as we don’t.
Other Bets To Make
The Hawks are 6-8 ATS in their 14 games played so far this season and are 4-4 ATS in 8 road games played. The Nuggets are an even 7-7 ATS in their 14 games this season and are 5-4 ATS in 9 home games so far this campaign. Head to head, the Hawks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played including 3-0 ATS in their last three meetings.
Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets 11/15/18
Spread Odds: Hawks +12 (-109), Nuggets -12 (-109)
Odds from Betonline.ag as of 11/15/18
Atlanta has won six out of the last eight meetings between these teams and five of those wins were by double digits. But while the Hawks have the Nuggets’ numbers, I just don’t see how the current Hawks team wins over the Nuggets. However, with the spread here at a dozen points, I think it’s a margin that the Hawks can cover. Three of their last four losses have come via single digits. These include the last two: a one-point loss to the Lakers and a seven point defat at the hands of the Warriors. While saying that however, the Hawks also have seven losses by at least 14 points. On the other hand, the Nuggets need to refocus on defense and play better down the stretch to get back on track. Between the Hawks inconsistency and the Nuggets’ making adjustments, I’m going with the latter.
Prediction: Nunggets -12
The over and under are an even 7-7 in Atlanta’s 14 total games played so far this season and also an even 4-4 in the Hawks’ 8 road games played. Meanwhile, the under is 9-4-1 in the Nuggets’ 14 games played in the 2018-19 campaign. The total has also gone over in five out of their nine home games this season. Head to head, the under is 3-0 in the last three meetings between the Hawks and Nuggets.
Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets 11/15/18
Over/Under Odds: Over 222 -109, Under 223.5 -109
Odds from gtbets as of 11/15/18
These teams have combined to score 209.2 points per game in their last ten meetings and 211.67 points per game in their last 3 games. The Hawks and Nuggets rank next to each other in the scoring list with the Hawks at #20 (108.9 points per game) and the Nuggets at #19 (109.1 points per game) so that’s not good for the over. Moreover, the Nuggets allow the 4th fewest opponents points per game this season at 103.9 and their methodical style should keep this game low-scoring.
Prediction: Under 223.5
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