Nuggets vs Rockets Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Tuesday, April 4th

Check out our free Nuggets vs Rockets pick and preview for this NBA game in Houston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Nuggets vs Rockets NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets
Where: Houston at Toyota Center
Date: Tuesday, April 4th
Betting Odds HOU +9.5, DEN -498 | HOU +366 O/U OFF

The Nuggets come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 52-26. So far, the team has gone 42-35-1 against the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 1-2. Denver is 2-1 vs the spread in these matchups.

Denver is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Warriors. With the 112-110 victory, they also covered the spread as 4 point underdogs. Although Denver trailed the Warriors going into halftime, by the end of the 3rd quarter they had taken the lead. Leading the team in scoring was Michael Porter Jr., as he contributed 29 points while hitting 58.8% of his shots.

So far, the Rockets have put together an overall record of 19-60, while going 30-46-3 vs the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 1-2. Houston is 1-1-1 vs the spread in these matchups.

Not only did the Rockets drop their last game to the Lakers. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 134-109 as 12 point underdogs. Houston struggled throughout the game, as they were not able to chip home at a 10 point halftime deficit. Leading the team in scoring was Jalen Green, as he contributed 24 points while hitting 33.3% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Nuggets picked up the 129-113 win over the Rockets. The Nuggets point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 11.0 point favorite. So far this season, the Nuggets have a record of 3-0 vs the Rockets. Similar to their season-long average, the Nuggets averaged 111.67 points per game vs the Rockets. While the Nuggets were able to maintain their usual level of production against Houston, the Rockets averaged fewer points per game in the series, at 102.0. The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 5-0 in favor of the Nuggets. In these matchups, Denver has averaged 124 points per game, while allowing 107. Over the course of these games, they averaged 231 points per game, leading a 3-2 over-under record.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Heading into play, the Nuggets offense is rated 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 116.1 points per contest. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Nuggets are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.8 per contest. A key reason behind the team’s overall offensive success is their ability to knock down the 3-point shot. Despite their slow style of play, their 3-point shooting percentage of 38.3% has help make up for fewer opportunites.

Defensively, Denver has had its problems giving up an average of 110.41 points per game (14th).

One situation to keep an eye on leading up the game is the availability of Nikola Jokic, as he is currently questionable on the injury report. If he is able to play, the team will have it’s 1-2 punch availble as Jokic leads the team in scoring at 24.9 points per game while Murray is 2nd at 20.3. For the season, Jokic is 47th in the NBA in usage rate and 3rd in player efficiency. Behind him, Murray has taken 18.8% of the team’s field goal attempts, connecting at a rate of 45.3%.

This season, the Houston offense has had their problems scoring the ball as they are a below average unit at 110.5 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Rockets will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.5 made 3’s per game. If Houston continues to struggle with their outside shot, they may look to start playing with more pace, as they are currently 18th in the league in possessions per game.

Against the Nuggets, the Rockets will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 30th in points allowed.

Shooting Guard Jalen Green currently leads the Rockets at 22.1 points per game. For the season, he is 34th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 20.1% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Green is averaging 3.7 boards and 3.7 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 10th ranked defense at defending shooting guards. Kevin Porter Jr. enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 57 games, he is averaging 19.0 and is 136th in the league in player efficiency rating.