Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets Picks and Predictions Dec 17
Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets betting preview for Friday, December 17. At the time of posting, Atlanta is holding steady as a 3.5-point home favorite over the visiting Nuggets with the total sitting at 226 points.
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| Fri, Dec 17 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Atlanta Hawks -3.5 vs Denver Nuggets |
| Total: | 226 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:40pm ET / 4:40pm PT |
| Arena: | State Farm Arena in Atlanta |
| TV: | Bally Sports Southeast |
Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets Predictions
Two teams that are 14-14 face off in Atlanta on Friday as the Hawks are 3.5-point favorites over the Nuggets with a total of 226, and I will start off by saying I am very excited to bet this game…and I’ll get to why in a bit. Atlanta is coming into the game losing four of six games while Denver has won two out of three after wrapping up a crazy road trip. I’m excited to get to my pick, so let’s jump right in.
Denver had a 7 game road trip which they survived going 4-3, and they returned home to beat Washington and lose to Minnesota in a game Anthony Edwards torched the perimeter defense. Jokic is making a serious case in defending his MVP as he’s averaging 27-14-7, and he’s held the team together as they deal with the Michael Porter Jr. injury and the absence of Murray.
The Nuggets are 12-16 ATS, and the Hawks are also 12-16 ATS, so both have been a little disappointing to wager on. The defense of Atlanta has been starting to falter as of late, and teams are hitting 70% of their shots at the rim with Capela in the game…a huge increase over last year. Trae Young has been a scoring machine, but he’s also one of the worst defenders in the league as his defensive rating ranks 398th out of 481 players. It’s a real problem, and Denver should take advantage.
Atlanta only has three wins in December, and they are not too impressive…Orlando, Minnesota and Indiana, and all on the road. I don’t know what the explanation is, but Atlanta was great at home and terrible on the road to start the season, and that has completely flipped. Their last five wins have been on the road, and they are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games, losing all of them outright.
Both teams are rested, and with the Hawks struggling at home and on defense, this game should have Jokic licking his chops to get a road win. The Hawks are favored, I’m not sure why…I’ll take the underdog Nuggets to win straight up on the money line.
OFFICIAL PLAY: Nuggets ML
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Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets Analysis from The GoldSheet
First meeting this season between the two went to Denver at the Ball Arena, 105-96 with C Nikola Jokic turning in a 22-19-10 triple double and Aaron Gordon making 7 of 11 shots good for 23 points. Jokic is on a gear, averaging 30 pts., 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his last 5 games. Now the venue shifts to State Farm Arena, where Atlanta has been having nothing but problems lately, as any home cooking the last few weeks has had a foul taste. The Hawks have lost 5 in a row SU and gone 0-6 vs. the number in a downturn that’s been at least in part fueled by injuries to Bogdan Bogdanovich and De’Andre Hunter, neither of whom will be back for this one (Hunter will be out another month).
Denver hasn’t set the world on fire, to be sure, and the Nugget D (29th over its last 11 games) coupled with fact Atlanta has both scored and given up 116.2 points per 100 possessions over the last 6 overall, indicates a high-scoring affair could be in the works. Nuggets on a 12-1 “over” run, with their games topping 230 pts. in 4 of last 5. Play Denver.
Friday’s NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Click here to download Friday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Atlanta Hawks vs Denver Nuggets contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
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