On a light, 4-game schedule on Saturday, NBA odds say the Denver Nuggets could be an enticing value bet as 4-point favorites on the road at Sacramento.
After a whopping 27 games wrapped around the Thanksgiving holiday — 14 on Wednesday and 13 more Friday — the NBA schedule is a light one for a Saturday with just four games on the boards. As far as the NBA odds go with such a thin slate, the Denver Nuggets could be a strong value play even as favorites on the road.
The Nuggets make their second and final trip this season to face the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center having won the first meeting 101-94 back on Oct. 28 while covering as 5½-point favorites, courtesy of The Action Network. In a Saturday afternoon matinee in Sacramento (4 p.m. Eastern tip), Denver is giving four points.
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The Nuggets are rolling, with the third-best record in the NBA at 13-3, a six-game winning streak and 10 victories in their last 11 games since a 122-107 loss at New Orleans on Oct. 31 — their only straight up road loss of the season thus far.
Denver is 5-1 away from home this season and 3-2-1 against the spread in those games, with an 8-7-1 overall record ATS.
Sacramento has been a better bet on the road (7-3 against the spread as the visiting team as opposed to 4-3 at home), but are 11-6 against the spread overall.
As of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday, the only variable on the availability report is Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is listed as probable with tightness in his left hamstring, an injury that kept him out just once since he hit the report four games ago.
But Sacramento will be without two of its bright young players — point guard De’Aaron Fox is recovering from a sprained left ankle and Marvin Bagley III is still not ready after fracturing his right thumb in the Kings’ opener on Oct. 23. Two-way player DaQuan Jeffries is in the G-League.
For Denver, rookie Bol Bol is listed as out for injury management for his left foot. Bol, a second-round pick who was signed to a two-way deal by Denver, has yet to make his NBA debut for the Nuggets, but has played in four games with the Windy City Bulls of the G League, averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in just 16.9 minutes per game on 54.1 percent shooting.
Bol was with Windy City because Denver is one of only two NBA teams — the Portland Trail Blazers — are the other without an exclusive affiliate in the NBA’s developmental circuit.
Two-way player PJ Dozier is also in the G League, while rookie Vlatko Cancar and second-year forward Jarred Vanderbilt are on assignment to the G League.
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As for the rest of the limited schedule, we have three other contests to take a look at.
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers (minus 5½)
TV: Fox Sports Indiana, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA TV
Tickets: Wells Fargo Arena, 7 p.m. Eastern
Availability Report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday)
Indiana: Not submitted (were without Victor Oladipo (right knee rehab), JaKarr Sampson (sore lower back) and Edmond Sumner (fractured right hand) Friday night against the Hawks; two-way players Brian Bowen and Naz Mitrou-Long were with Fort Wayne in the G League).
Philadelphia: Not submitted (were without Al Horford (rest), Kyle O’Quinn (strained left calf) and Josh Richardson (right hamstring tightness) Friday night at New York; two-way player Jonah Bolden was with Delaware in the G League).
Notable: This is the first of four scheduled meetings this season between the Indiana Pacers (12-6 overall) and Philadelphia 76ers (13-6 overall) and both teams are on a SEGABABA (second game of a back-to-back).
Indiana survived an overtime scare from Atlanta at home, 105-104, on Friday to win its fifth straight game and have won nine of its last 11 overall. The Pacers did not cover, however, and are just 8-8-2 against the spread this season, including a 3-4 mark on the road.
Philadelphia picked up its sixth win in seven games Friday night with a 101-95 victory at New York, but also missed the cover. The Sixers are only 9-10 against the spread this season, with a 4-4 record at home.
The 76ers lead the all-time series with the Pacers 100-79 and were 3-1 against Indiana last season. The teams split the two games in Philadelphia in 2018-19, with the Pacers winning 113-101 on Dec. 14 and the Sixers getting a 106-89 win on March 10. Over the last three seasons, Indiana is 6-5 against the 76ers, with the teams splitting six games at Wells Fargo Center, 3-3.
Atlanta Hawks at Houston Rockets (minus 13½)
TV: Fox Sports Southeast, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Tickets: Toyota Center, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday)
Atlanta: Not submitted (Hawks were without John Collins (league suspension) and Kevin Huerter (strained left rotator cuff) Friday night at Indiana; two-way players Charlie Brown and Brandon Goodwin were with College Park in the G League).
Houston: OUT–Michael Frazier (two-way, Rio Grande Valley, G League), Eric Gordon (right knee arthroscopy), Gerald Green (fractured left cuneiform), Nene Hilario (strained left adductor); DOUBTFUL–Danuel House (illness).
The Atlanta Hawks (4-15 overall) face a big challenge Saturday night against the Houston Rockets (12-6 overall). Atlanta is on a SEGABABA coming off a 105-104 overtime loss at Indiana on Friday night, while the Rockets have been off since beating the Heat 117-108 at home on Wednesday.
The Hawks have been a sneaky good cover, however, going 9-10 overall against the spread, including 4-6 on the road. Houston is 9-9 against the spread, going 5-4 at home.
Historically, this has been a narrow battle, with the Rockets holding a 78-76 edge in the all-time series (the teams were divisional rivals from 1967-70 and 1972-80), but Houston has won the last four meetings, including a season sweep last season that included a 121-105 victory at Toyota Center.
Over the last three seasons, the Rockets are 4-2 with season sweeps in 2017-18 and 2018-19. The Hawks swept the series in 2016-17 and are 1-2 on the road against Houston during that span.
Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks (minus 14½)
TV: Fox Sports Southeast, Fox Sports Wisconsin
Tickets: Fiserv Forum, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Availability report (as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday)
Charlotte: Not submitted (Hornets were without Cody Zeller (left hip contusion) at Detroit Friday night; two-way players Robert Franks and Kobi Simmons as well as Caleb Martin, Cody Martin and Jalen McDaniels were with Greensboro in the G League).
Milwaukee: Not submitted (Bucks were without Thanasis Antetokounmpo (stomach flu), Sterling Brown (sprained right AC joint) and Kyle Korver (sore right elbow) against the Cavaliers Friday night; two-way player Cameron Reynolds as well as Dragan Bender were with Wisconsin in the G League).
This is a SEGABABA for both teams, with each winning on Friday. The Charlotte Hornets (8-12 overall) outlasted Detroit on the road 110-107 to complete a home-and-home sweep of the Pistons following a five-game losing streak.
The Milwaukee Bucks (16-3 overall), meanwhile, matched the longest winning streak in the NBA this season with their 10th consecutive victory, winning Friday at Cleveland 119-110. Boston won 10 straight from Oct. 25-Nov. 15 and the Lakers are also currently on a 10-game tear.
It’s a big spread for a back-to-back, but the Bucks are 76-25 in the regular season since the beginning of last season. This will be the first of three meetings between the Hornets and Milwaukee this season, but the only one scheduled for Fiserv Forum. The Teams will play in Paris on Jan. 24 and in Charlotte on March 1.
The Hornets are a decent 10-9-1 against the spread, including 5-5-1 on the road. Milwaukee is only 8-11 against the number and just 3-5 at home, so this might be a game to steer clear of unless you have strong leanings either way.
The Bucks lead the all-time series 57-55 and were 3-1 last season, losing on Nov. 26, 2018, at home. Over the last three seasons, Milwaukee is 7-4 against Charlotte, but have lost three of five to the Hornets at home over that span.