The Denver Nuggets secured a playoff berth after the Golden State Warriors lost to Phoenix Monday night. Tonight they host the Memphis Grizzles for their final game of the regular season. Oddsmakers at SBGglobal.com have the Nuggets as 15 ½-point favs over the Grizzles with the over/under posted at 234. Get your final NBA Pick in now at SBGglobal.com
The Nuggets received a bit of a distraction, Monday, with the arrest of Carmelo Anthony for driving under the influence. Anthony is the league's fourth-leading scorer with 25 PPG. The two-time All-Star was arrested hours after he was held to a season low-tying 11pts in Denver's 111-94 win over Houston. He isn't expected to miss any playing time for the time being. The Nuggets can climb into seventh spot in the Western Standings with a win tonight combined with a Dallas vs New Orleans loss. They’ve been averaging 116 PPG in their last five and at home they are good for 112 PPG. Their defense has struggled a bit allowing 114 PPG in their last five and at home they give up an average 102 PPG. The Nuggets have been eliminated in five games in the first round each of the last four seasons – all with Anthony and Iverson. Allen Iverson leads the Nuggets with 26 PPG while averaging 42 minutes of court time. The Nuggets are 3-0 SU against the Grizzlies, and are hoping to sweep the season series for the second time in four years. They are 32-8 SU on home court and 25-15 ATS at home.
The Grizzles will not make the playoffs but they can play a pivotal role in the outcome of tonight’s game. They’ll be trying to avoid their second consecutive 60-loss season. A win in this game would give them one more than they had in 2006-07, when they finished with the worst record in the league. They recently lost 91-113 on the road to Portland as 11-point road favs. The Grizz have averaged 103 PPG in their last five and on the road they are good for 97 PPG. Darko Milicic is listed as day to day due to a sore shoulder while Rudy Gay leads his team with 20 PPG. They are 8-32 SU away from home and 8-12 ATS with no days rest.
Recent Trends to Consider
- Grizzlies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
- Grizzlies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
- Grizzlies are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Nuggets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
- Nuggets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games.
- Nuggets are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as a home favorite.
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
GAME: Memphis Grizzlies (22-59) at Denver Nuggets (49-32)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, April 16 – 9:00 PM EST
LINE: SBGglobal.com TOTAL: 234
PICK: Denver -15 ½
The Bottom Line: The Grizz are just plain awful. Carmelo will have to have a huge night to make up for his recent arrest. Allen Iverson is a scoring maniac who puts up big numbers against crappy teams. Get your final NBA Pick in now at SBGglobal.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial investment.
