If the Cleveland Cavaliers want to convince everyone that they are truly NBA title contenders, they need to show something down the stretch. It has been an underwhelming season for the LeBron-James-led Cavaliers, and a midseason re-tooling hasn’t done much to change those fortunes. Cleveland will go on the road this week to take on the Denver Nuggets and could very well be the underdogs based.
Denver is only sitting in the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference but has played really well at home all year. This is the type of toss-up game Cleveland needs to win in order to find a groove as the playoffs approach. The Nuggets are in a logjam in the West where every win is huge, so this game should have high intensity from start to finish as it is important to each side.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Pepsi Center at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Cavaliers are 36-26 straight up and 19-42-1 against the spread. Cleveland has covered in 13 of 30 attempts on the road this season. The Cavaliers are 8-4 against the spread as the underdog this season.
The Nuggets are 35-28 straight up and 29-31-3 against the spread. Denver is 17-15-1 against the spread at home this season. It is 18-20-1 against the spread as the favorite.
Player to Watch
Larry Nance Jr. – In his first game as a starter for the Cavaliers, Nance ended the night with a double-double. He finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds in a 112-90 win against Detroit on Monday while filling in for the injured Tristan Thompson.
Thompson is out for two weeks with an ankle injury and Nance will remain the team’s starting center while he recovers. With the six-game road trip ahead, the home win Monday and career performance from Nance was a welcomed send-off for the Cavs.
Cleveland is also down Kevin Love and Jeff Green so Nance will need to continue to play the way he did Monday to keep the Cavs winning. The 25-year-old found a nice rhythm with James who had 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the victory.
Key Stat
24. That’s the number of wins the Nuggets have claimed at home this season, which is tied for the third-most in the NBA, up in rarified air with the Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
Denver has thin air because of the city’s elevation and the Nuggets like to push the pace, which is a tough combination for opposing teams who come to town. The Nuggets have not played very well on the road this season which is why they are only sitting in eighth place in the West, but this game is at home, so it doesn’t really matter about the road woes.
The Cavaliers have gone 15-15 on the road this season, so even though James will be the best player on the court, the Nuggets will likely be the team to beat.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Everyone keeps waiting for Cleveland to find a groove and become the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. However, the truth seems to be that the Cavs are not going to make a lot of noise in the postseason. The Nuggets have a more well-rounded team than Cleveland, and the home court advantage will be huge.
Take Denver to take care of business at home and pick up a crucial win as it tries to move up in the Western Conference standings. The Cavs could keep this one close enough to cover as it should come down to the final minute of play.
NBA Odds: Nuggets 117, Cavaliers 114
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