Nuggets vs Trail Blazers Picks and Predictions: Lillard Leads Fatal Attack

There are just three games on the NBA betting board this Thursday, headlined by a contest between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.

Both of these teams are above .500 but have struggled lately, with the Nuggets coming into the Moda Center on a three-game slide.

Oddsmakers are expecting a close contest with the Blazers opening as slim 1-point home favorites and the Over/Under at 227.5. Here are my best free Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers NBA picks and predictions for December 8.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers best odds

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers picks and predictions

The Nuggets have dropped three in a row and now head on the road to face off against a Blazers team that's as healthy as it's been all season. Portland's coming off back-to-back wins and is fresh off a 16-point victory over the Pacers on Sunday.

That game saw the return of Blazers All-NBA guard Damian Lillard, who had missed the previous two weeks with a leg injury. It's no surprise that the Blazers are much better when their best player dresses, at 8-4 SU while averaging 112.3 ppg with Dame in the lineup, going 5-7 with 108.3 ppg without him. 

The Nuggets are extremely efficient on offense but struggle on the defensive end of the floor, where they allow opponents to shoot 48.9% from the field (the second-worst number in the league).

They won't be able to slow down a Blazers team that shoots 38.3% from deep and has three perimeter threats averaging at least 23 ppg.

These teams faced off near the beginning of the season with the Blazers blowing out the Nuggets 135-110 in Portland. The Blazers might not destroy the Nuggets like that again, but they should be able to cover this short spread.

My best bet: Trail Blazers -1 (-110 at FanDuel)

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers spread analysis

The Nuggets are 0-3 SU and ATS in their last three contests, most recently losing by a single point to Dallas on Tuesday. Prior to that ugly stretch, the Nuggets had won four in a row and they still sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 14-10 record. 

Small forward Michael Porter Jr. is currently sidelined with a heel injury but Denver has six other players scoring in double digits. 

The Nuggets are shooting an NBA-best 50% from the floor while ranking second in 3-point percentage (39.7%). 

Portland hit a snag when Lillard was injured on November 19, losing six of its next seven games (going 2-5 ATS during that span), but has now won two in a row.

The Blazers had an impressive 58.7 effective field goal percentage on Sunday in Lillard's return to the lineup and they rank ninth in the league with a 55.3 eFG% at home. 

They've been less impressive on the defensive end of the floor, where they allow opponents to shoot 46.9% — but that number still ranks near the middle of the league and is significantly better than Denver's.

Portland center Jusuf Nurkic also matches up relatively well with two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. They've played five games against each other since 2021, with Jokic averaging 20.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 6.4 apg, numbers that pale in comparison to his usual output.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers Over/Under analysis

Both of these squads play at a slow tempo, with the Nuggets 23rd in the league in pace and the Blazers 27th. However, the total is still fairly high for this contest because both teams are significantly better on offense than defense.

Denver is fifth in the league in offensive rating while ranking just 26th on the defensive end of the floor. Meanwhile, the Blazers are 12th in offensive rating and 23rd on defense.

The pillar of Denver's offense is Jokic, who leads the team in scoring (23 ppg), rebounds (10 rpg), assists (8.9 apg), and steals (1.3 spg). Jamal Murray (17.6 ppg) and Aaron Gordon (16.6 ppg) are also offensive threats while Bones Hyland (14.4 ppg) has been a sparkplug off the bench.

The Blazers have the highest-scoring trio in the league with Lillard (25.8 ppg), Anfernee Simons (24.7 ppg), and Jerami Grant (23 ppg) all capable of filling up the hoop.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers betting trend to know

The Blazers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against a team with a winning straight-up record while the Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in their previous seven contests versus teams with a winning record. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers game info

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers key injuries

Pages related to this topic