Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets Betting Pick

The Houston Rockets look to get out of a bit of a slump when they host the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. Houston has dropped two out of three, while Denver comes into the game having won four of its last five.
Denver is coming in after taking care of business in a close call against the Kings on Sunday. Nikola Jokic was making his highlight-reel plays as expected, and the team is now at 23-9.
The Nuggets came into the season with high expectations after finishing as the top seed in the conference last season, and they have been able to continue to achieve. They may move some role players at the deadline to free up some minutes, but nothing major will happen. As long as Jokic and Jamal Murray are leading the way, they are fine.
Houston, on the other hand, suffered a surprising, yet pretty expectable loss to New Orleans on Sunday. Playing without Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Clint Capela is not easy. The Rockets gave Eric Gordon a starring role in his return after missing almost two months, but he and Austin Rivers could not lead them to the win.
Lonzo Ball had a big night to lead New Orleans to the victory against the depleted group. The Rockets will need the services of all three of those guys to really have a chance against the Nuggets.
The spread for Tuesday night’s game favors Houston by one point. The over/under is set at 218.5.
Hitting The Road
The Nuggets rank 21st in points scored, an area they are always working on improving. But more important is the fact they allow the fewest points in the NBA. The defense is anchored by Paul Millsap on the first unit, with Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant taking command when they enter the game.
Gary Harris struggles to score but is known for his ability to be a wing stopper. All five starters and Grant are scoring in double digits this year, though nobody is averaging more than 18 points. The key is that either Jokic or Murray steps up when the team needs somebody to go for 30-plus.
Denver’s keys to winning this game are simple. Make 15-plus threes and limit Harden. This is a game where Harden deserves a double team if one ever existed, forcing Westbrook to beat you. It will destroy Houston, for sure.
Needing To Launch
A tight win over the Nets was forgotten after the backups could not get it done against New Orleans. The same Brooklyn team they defeated was just knocked off by a short-handed Timberwolves squad, maybe making them look a little less impressive.
The Rockets could really use this win against one of their competitors near the top of the West. They have three-point shooters for days and will need them to step up and rise to the occasion. If they are able to do that, the Rockets will be tough to stop.
In the games Harden gets doubled throughout, it will be decided by the effectiveness of the deep-ball shooters. From Gordon to Rivers to Ben McLemore, all of them need to hit. Danuel House Jr. has been a big part of what they’ve done this year.
Houston Takes The L
It will be a good night for Denver as its road trip to Houston will result in it getting a victory.
Free Play: DEN +1