Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets odds, picks and predictions

Nathan Beighle | Staff Writer

The Houston Rockets (5-3) welcome the Denver Nuggets (8-1) to Toyota Center Sunday with tip is set for 7 p.m. ET. Let's analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the Nuggets vs. Rockets odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.

Season series: First meeting; Denver won all 3 games last season

The Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 104-101 Friday in the in-season tournament. They pushed as a 3-point home favorite. After an 0-3 start, Houston has won 5 straight. It is 4-3-1 against the spread (ATS), posting a 4-0-1 ATS record over its last 5. The Rockets are led by G Jalen Green, who is averaging 20.3 points per game.

The Nuggets beat the Golden State Warriors 108-105 Wednesday, but did not cover as a 4.5-point favorite. They are 5-4 ATS on the season and 1-2 ATS on the road. Denver is coming off 4 home games. The Nuggets are led by C Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 29.1 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.

Nuggets at Rockets odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:38 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Nuggets -196 (bet $196 to win $100) | Rockets +164 (bet $100 to win $164)
Against the spread (ATS): Nuggets +4.5 (-110) | Rockets -4.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 217.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Nuggets at Rockets key injuries

Nuggets

G Jamal Murray (hamstring) out

Rockets

F Amen Thompson (ankle) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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Nuggets at Rockets picks and predictions

Prediction

Nuggets 116, Rockets 113

Moneyline

PASS.

The Nuggets are the better team, but at -196, they are too risky given their struggles on the road. The Rockets are streaking and are a young confident side.

Play them on the spread rather than the moneyline though.

Against the spread

LEAN ROCKETS +4.5 (-110).

The Nuggets are still adjusting to life without Murray, their 2nd-leading scorer. The offense partially revolved around his pick-and-roll play. Couple his absence with the Nuggets road struggles, and fading the defending champions is a smart play here.

The Rockets have won 5 in a row, beating teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, both of which made the playoffs last season. They won each of those games by 18 or more points. The Rockets are young and rounding into form. They should be able to keep pace with the Nuggets here.

Back ROCKETS +4.5 (-110).

Over/Under

BET OVER 217.5 (-110).

The Rockets are 3-5 O/U this season and 2-3 O/U in their last 5 games. The reason for the Under hitting has mainly been their defensive aptitude. Houston has held 3 of its last 4 opponents to under 100 points which scoring 120 or more in 2 of its last 3 games.

Denver ranks 8th in true shooting percentage and 4th in offensive rating. Expect it to be able to find traction unlike Houston's prior opponents. The Nuggets are 3-6 O/U on the season but 3-1 O/U over their last 4, scoring 120 or more in 3 of their last 4.

Expect a high-scoring game as Houston's thriving offensive and Denver has 1 of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. Back OVER 217.5 (-110).

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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