SAN ANTONIO -14 over Denver
The San Antonio Spurs try to extend their season-high winning streak to nine games tonight when they return to SBC Center for the first time in nearly a month to face the lowly Denver Nuggets. The Spurs won the final eight games of their season-high nine-game trek for the longest winning streak on one road trip in NBA history. It is also their longest winning streak since finishing last season with nine consecutive victories. They finished off the road trip and moved a season-high 20 games over .500 with a 104-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Then there's the Denver Nuggets. They have lost five straight games and fell to 0-2 on a three-game road trip with a 100-92 loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday. Denver has lost 15 of its last 18 overall and has been beaten by the Spurs the last 2 times they've played this season. In their last visit to San Antonio, they were demolished 99-68. While it may not be quite that bad, tonight's game shouldn't be close either. Denver is 0-5 ATS this season on the road off 2 or more previous road games, and a horrible 2-12 ATS as a road underdog off a road loss. They will be eager to get back home and likely to throw in the towel early here, with a home date tomorrow. In fact, the Nuggs are a pathetic 3-16 ATS on the road with a home game the following day, including 2-7 as a double-digit dog.
Off a road underdog win, San Antonio is 10-2 ATS, so we are not expecting much of a letdown here. In fact, the NBA is a strong 7-1 ATS at home off a road win vs. the Kings. The Spurs are also 3-0 ATS at home off 3+ road victories, 14-4 ATS off a win over an NBA "CLASS A/B" opponent, and 6-1 ATS at home vs. opponents off 2 road losses with a home game the following day. The Spurs are simply playing the best basketball in the league right now, while Denver is playing perhaps the worst. This one should be over early as the Spurs snuff out Denver and ride to an easy victory.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: SAN ANTONIO 98 DENVER 78