Nets vs. Nuggets Odds, Expert Pick, Prediction | NBA Betting Preview (March 12)

Nets vs. Nuggets Odds

The Brooklyn Nets find themselves in the heart of a five-game road trip, with the next stop coming in Denver to take on the Nuggets.

Brooklyn has performed well so far during the front half of the road trip, winning two of the first three games. The Nets are now 4-2 in the month of March, slowly making their way up the Eastern Conference standings.

Denver is also 4-2 in its last six games and still sits at the top of the Western Conference, but recent struggles have resulted in two consecutive losses to the Bulls and Spurs.

The Nuggets have a strong hold of the top seed in the West, but the Nets still have plenty of chances to improve their seeding in the East, which could play a big role in this one. Find a preview and betting prediction for the Brooklyn Nets vs. Denver Nuggets matchup below.

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Nets Defense Surging

The first days of March have been kind to the Nets at 4-2 this month. They have improved in several areas in order to make that happen, but the most significant improvements have come on the defensive end of the floor.

According to NBA.com, Brooklyn has posted a Defensive Rating of 107.5 across the last six games. That is the second-best rating the league in that time and is a 5.7-point improvement from Brooklyn's season-long Defensive Rating of 113.2.

However, the Nets have not been complemented that stellar defensive play with consistent offense.

Brooklyn is averaging 115.0 points per game in March, but so far the Nets have shot just 43.6% from the floor overall as a team. That inefficiency hasn't proven to be much of an issue yet, but it could put this team in a tough spot against one of the higher rated home defenses in the NBA.

Can the Nuggets Bounce Back?

Denver enters this matchup riding a two-game losing streak, which is somewhat of a concern for a few reasons.

Those losses came at the hands of the Bulls and Spurs, two teams that are well below the .500 mark. San Antonio was recently eliminated from the playoffs, and Chicago currently sits as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.

The sudden losing skid has come as a result of poor play on both ends of the floor. In the last two games, the Nuggets have posted a Net Rating of -14.8, the lowest rating in the NBA in that time by 2.6 points. That rating comes from an Offensive Rating of 105.9 and a Defensive Rating of 120.7.

Perhaps the biggest concern is on the offensive end, but as the home team this season, Denver owns an Offensive Rating of 120.7. That rating ranks second in the NBA, and I think it is likely we see the Nuggets return to that level after a short one-game road trip.

Nets-Nuggets Pick

This matchup features a struggling Denver offense and a stellar Brooklyn defense, but I believe that this is a good spot for the over.

Despite great defensive play this month, Brooklyn opponents have scored at least 118 points in three of the Nets' six games. Denver is in a similar position, surrendering an average of 119.3 points per game across the last three games.

Additionally, according to TeamRankings, the over has been great for both of these teams when playing a non-conference opponent. The over is 14-8 when the Nuggets play a team from the East and 12-10-1 when the Nets play a team from the West.

I think those trends are in a favorable position to continue this afternoon, and I'd play this total to 232.

Pick: Over 230.5 (play to 232)

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