Denver and Phoenix, which are currently seventh and eighth in the Western Conference standings respectively, will square off tonight in hopes of preserving their tenuous playoff positions. This evening’s showdown between the Nuggets and Suns is scheduled to get underway at 5:30pm ET at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix; it will be broadcast live on ESPN. NBA Odds have the Suns listed as a -4.5 against the spread home favorite and the Over/Under set at 211 points.
Denver, sitting a game and a half ahead of the eighth place Suns, can assure itself a postseason slot with a win tonight. However, due to two losses in its last four games, the team can ill afford another slip up, especially with Utah and Phoenix so close behind.
A 98-104 home loss to the Clippers on Wednesday night, potentially, put the Nuggets playoff hopes in jeopardy, dropping them to 34-28 overall. Denver had four of its five starters, including Ty Lawson, and two reserves score in double figures, but its perimeter defense assured Los Angeles a victory. The Clippers drained 14-of-24 from beyond the arc, helping them overcome 17 turnovers and a four rebound deficit.
The Suns, whose situation is even more precarious than the Nuggets, moved back into the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot with a 93-90 win over the same Clippers on Thursday night.
Phoenix, which got 14 points and 14 rebounds from Marcin Gortat, held L.A. to 44.6 percent shooting overall and 31.3 percent from long range in the crucial win. Steve Nash contributed 13 points and six assists while Jared Dudley led the team with 18 points.
The Nuggets, who have won five in a row over the Suns, took the first two meetings of the season between these two teams, beating Phoenix 109-92 and 105-99. Both of those games took place at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
NBA Odds Betting Trend: The Under is 1-9 in the Nuggets last 10 games as a road dog against a Pacific opponent with a spread between 4 and 7.5 points.
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2012 NBA Odds Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns: Provided by Bovada.lv
Denver Nuggets +4.5 (-110), Over 211 (-115)
Phoenix Suns -4.5 (-110), Under 211 (-105)
