The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off an eight-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers where they didn’t have Deandre Ayton and lost Anfernee Simons to an injury midway through the game, but they have a chance to cover on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.
Denver has listed both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray as questionable for this game, a sign that the Nuggets may be looking to rest a star – or both of them – in a winnable matchup.
Portland hasn’t been great as a home underdog, but can the team cover a double-digit spread in this one?
Here’s a look at the latest odds and my best bet for this Saturday night matchup:
Nuggets vs. Blazers odds, spread and total
Nuggets vs. Blazers how to watch
- Date: Saturday, March 23
- Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Moda Center
- How to watch (TV): Altitude, Root Sports Northwest
- Nuggets record: 49-21
- Blazers record: 19-51
Nuggets vs. Blazers injury reports
Nuggets injury report
- Nikola Jokic – questionable
- Jamal Murray – questionable
- Jalen Pickett – out
- Vlatko Cancar – out
- Zeke Nnaji – out
Blazers injury report
- Not submitted yet
Nuggets vs. Blazers key players to watch
Denver Nuggets
Michael Porter Jr.: After a masterful showing against the New York Knicks on Thursday (31 points on 13-of-16 shooting), MPJ could be in line for a No. 1 option role on Saturday if Jokic and Murray don’t play. The Nuggets wing has been extremely efficient this season, shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from 3.
Portland Trail Blazers
Deandre Ayton: Ayton (elbow) missed the team’s loss to the Clippers on Friday night, but if he returns on Saturday he could be in line for a big game if Jokic sits. Ayton is averaging 24.1 points and 13.9 rebounds per game over his last seven contests.
Nuggets vs. Blazers prediction and pick
The Blazers have been solid in one spot this season – in the second night of back-to-backs.
Portland is a league best 9-2-1 against the spread this season in that spot, and now the team may not face a fully healthy Denver team in this game.
The Nuggets have been great this season once again, but they have struggled against the spread on the road, going 11-15-1 against the spread as road favorites.
Depending on Portland’s injury report, this spread could rise – which would make it worth waiting – but I still think the Blazers can hang around in this one.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.