A clear difference can be seen by gamblers in the value of the Rockets without injured center Clint Capela. NBA scoring champion James Harden has been forced to carry the burden for Houston with Capela out of the lineup. As a result, the Rockets have suffered a drop in NBA betting online value. At the beginning of the season nobody was taking Denver seriously as a top Western Conference playoff contender. In view of the Nuggets first place standing in the Northwest Division they have quietly been a consistent board value. Defense has been the bedrock of Denver’s success.
Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets
Date and Time: Friday, February 1, 2019, 10 p.m. ET
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
NBA Betting Online Odds at SBG: Click Here!
Rockets vs. Nuggets TV Coverage: ESPN
Houston Rockets
Late results have not been good for Houston as far as NBA betting online value. The Rockets have covered the spread in just three of their last 10 games. And three of their last four have gone under the number. Houston now stands at 29-20 straight up, 23-25-1 vs. the board, and 27-22 over the total. NBA rankings have the Rockets 13th for scoring offense and 15th for points allowed. In spite of recent woes Houston leads the Southwest Division standings.
Denver Nuggets
By contrast Denver has shown solid profitability in recent games. The Nuggets have covered the spread in four of their last six outings. Seven of their last eight matchups have gone over the total. Denver is now 34-15 straight up, 27-22 against the odds, and 24-24-1 on totals. The Nuggets are the surprise leader of the Northwest Division standings. NBA metrics have them ranked 18th for scoring offense and sixth for points allowed.
Important Names on Court
Naturally the Rockets are led by last year’s scoring champion James Harden. The guard is averaging 36.3 points and 8.2 assists per game. Balanced against that for Denver is center Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets big is averaging 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per outing. Of great concern is Capela’s 17.6 points and 12.6 rebounds per game missing for Houston.
Stats to Consider
Now recent action has seen Houston drop badly as a road betting value. The Rockets have covered just five of their last 18 away matchups. Five of their last seven in that situation have gone under the total. Counter to that is the strong betting value provided by Denver at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets have paid in 14 of their last 18 home games. Eight of their last nine home court matchups have gone over the total.
Team vs. Team
Gamblers have done quite well with Houston in their series against the Nuggets. To show the Rockets have beaten the sportsbook five straight times against Denver. Three of the last four between these teams went over the total. Further, Houston has soared to four straight payouts at Pepsi Center. Three of the last five games in this series at Denver went over the total.
Matchup to Watch
While Houston does have good NBA betting online marks vs. Denver the absence of Capela has to hurt. Indeed, Denver has been in much better form recently. Additionally, Jokic gives them a major advantage on the court.
NBA Betting Online Picks
In this situation Denver is the better choice!
NBA Betting Online Pick: Denver Nuggets
NBA Betting Online Score Prediction: Nuggets 110, Rockets 102