Durant, Thunder in Denver for showdown with Nuggets

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  • Chance Harper
    SBR Wise Guy
    • 07-20-07
    • 788

    #1
    Durant, Thunder in Denver for showdown with Nuggets
    Kevin Durant, Thunder in Denver for showdown with Nuggets

    Kevin Durant and the Thunder will be in Denver on Wednesday in a crucial Western Conference match that tips with OKC just 2.5 games behind the Nuggets in the Northwest.

    Has the future already arrived for the Oklahoma City Thunder?



    My colleagues and I here at the fabulous SBR Forum have been telling you about the Thunder for months now. But what began as praise for Oklahoma City's ability to get to the pay window has become something even greater. We’re going to have to start talking about Oklahoma City as a possible spoiler in the Western Conference playoffs.

    The Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings 113-107 Tuesday night. Kevin Durant and Co. failed to cash in as 10-point home faves, but the Thunder still improved to 12-2 SU and 8-6 ATS in its last 14 games.

    Oklahoma City is now in sixth place in the Western Conference and just three games out of second place.

    In between are the Denver Nuggets at 39-21 (27-29-4 ATS). The Nuggets are a game up on the Utah Jazz in the Northwest Division and 2.5 games ahead of Oklahoma City with about 20 games remaining in the regular season. This makes Wednesday night’s matchup at Pepsi Center (9 p.m. ET) considerably more important than it may appear at first glance.

    The winner of the division gets an automatic Top 3 seed in the West and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. How important is home court? Very much so if you’re the Nuggets:

    Denver at home: 25-5 SU, 15-14-1 ATS
    Denver away: 14-16 SU, 12-15-3 ATS

    Oklahoma City at home: 18-11 SU, 16-13 ATS
    Oklahoma City away: 17-12 SU, 19-10 ATS

    Playing at Pepsi Center gives Denver a big advantage; this is literally the Mile High City, a full 5,280 feet above sea level (exactly one statute mile) and a very difficult environment for players who aren’t used to the thinner air at higher elevations. Denver makes it even more difficult on opponents by running the fifth-fastest offense in the league at 97.6 possessions per game.

    The Nuggets used to be even faster before acquiring Chauncey Billups as their point guard two years ago in the Allen Iverson trade. Billups ran a much slower halfcourt offense with the Detroit Pistons, where he won his first and only NBA title in 2004. But he’s adjusted well to the new conditions, maintaining a very high level of play (22.23 PER, third among NBA point guards) and developing a strong chemistry with superstar small forward Carmelo Anthony (22.82 PER).

    Only two players at the 3-spot have performed better than Anthony this year. One is the incomparable LeBron James (31.86 PER). The other: Oklahoma City’s own Kevin Durant (25.25 PER), who continues to toil in relative obscurity at an MVP level.
    Durant and the Thunder have compiled one of the most profitable records in the NBA thanks to their small-market status and their quantum leap in play over last year, when the young Thunder finished last in the Northwest at 23-59 and still made big money at 46-34-1 ATS. How good is Durant? Try 39 points and 10 rebounds Tuesday night against the Kings.

    The early betting odds for Wednesday’s matchup had the Nuggets as 6-point favorites with a total of 207 points. Many books decided to open Denver at -6½. Sharp bettors will be more than happy with that; the Thunder have cashed in seven times in a row at Denver’s expense dating back to April 2008, and six straight since Billups came over from the Pistons. The two teams have split a pair of victories home and away this year, with Denver winning 102-93 on December 14 as a 10-point home chalk. Both games this season went 'under' to snap a nine-game streak for the 'over.'

    As usual, the consensus reports have bettors climbing on the 'over' wagon, to the tune of 94 percent as we went to press. The Nuggets were pulling in 60 percent support against the pointspread. Denver is no pushover, but it’s plain to see where the value is in this matchup
  • tomcast
    SBR Wise Guy
    • 06-19-06
    • 754

    #2
    The Thunder have been good to me this year
    Comment
    • Zahltag
      SBR Rookie
      • 02-05-10
      • 8

      #3
      no bet or thunder.
      you never know about denver. maybe they win with20 points, maybe they lose.
      and okc is very strong.
      Comment
      • teecee
        SBR Hall of Famer
        • 09-18-09
        • 6298

        #4
        How 'bout a 2-team 5pt teaser?

        Denver -2.5
        OK City +12.5

        about .73/1 odds? I'm contemplating pulling trigger.
        Comment
        • laziie
          SBR High Roller
          • 11-16-09
          • 207

          #5
          denver for me tonight
          Comment
          • Diesel79
            SBR MVP
            • 11-27-08
            • 1001

            #6
            How about Over 207? OKC is scoring a lot lately (113, 119, 109 in last 3 games) and Denver at home can score too... I can see 120-112 type of game here
            Comment
            • jjgold
              SBR Aristocracy
              • 07-20-05
              • 388179

              #7
              Denver and over
              Comment
              • obamaismyuncle
                SBR Posting Legend
                • 12-31-08
                • 17801

                #8
                Denver cover easily.
                Comment
                • Cut the Mullet
                  Restricted User
                  • 03-03-10
                  • 6

                  #9
                  I am also on Denver.
                  Comment
                  • teecee
                    SBR Hall of Famer
                    • 09-18-09
                    • 6298

                    #10
                    *Ok. City 10-1 ATS as a 5-9.5 dog.
                    *Ok. City 7-3 SU as a 5-9.5 dog.
                    *Ok. City 8-1 ATS as a 5-9.5 away dog.
                    *Denver 7-2 SU v. teams on a b2b on a day's rest.
                    *Denver 17-6 SU as a 5-9.5 fave.
                    *Denver 11- 3 SU as a 5-9.5 home fave.
                    Comment
                    • Masu485
                      SBR Hall of Famer
                      • 08-14-08
                      • 7700

                      #11
                      i'm on OKC 2u
                      Comment
                      • QUEST001
                        SBR Wise Guy
                        • 04-01-09
                        • 779

                        #12
                        Tuff capping match up in this game..normally would take denver in this situation..b2b 4 ok. going into denver ouch.. but got a strong feelling bout ok. 2nit may go against trend and take ok. and durant..GL
                        Comment
                        • nastradamus
                          SBR Wise Guy
                          • 11-03-09
                          • 632

                          #13
                          I like NO+ today
                          Comment
                          • Masu485
                            SBR Hall of Famer
                            • 08-14-08
                            • 7700

                            #14
                            Originally posted by QUEST001
                            Tuff capping match up in this game..normally would take denver in this situation..b2b 4 ok. going into denver ouch.. but got a strong feelling bout ok. 2nit may go against trend and take ok. and durant..GL
                            most H2H trends favor OKC
                            Comment
                            • TW
                              SBR Rookie
                              • 03-01-10
                              • 26

                              #15
                              Denver is strong at home, and Oklahoma on back to back, this will be a tough one for Durant an company.
                              Comment
                              • tjlampe
                                Restricted User
                                • 11-30-09
                                • 128

                                #16
                                Denver takes care of business at home
                                Comment
                                • tltaylor89
                                  SBR Posting Legend
                                  • 06-19-09
                                  • 19610

                                  #17
                                  OKC showed up too get blew out
                                  Comment
                                  • bigiam
                                    SBR Rookie
                                    • 02-27-10
                                    • 22

                                    #18
                                    nice post
                                    Comment
                                    • tltaylor89
                                      SBR Posting Legend
                                      • 06-19-09
                                      • 19610

                                      #19
                                      Denver in 6 if they play OKC
                                      Comment
                                      • Tsoprano
                                        BARRELED IN @ SBR!
                                        • 04-14-08
                                        • 26374

                                        #20
                                        Durant and his squad got their asses handed to them today. Lost by 29.
                                        Comment
                                        • tealish
                                          SBR MVP
                                          • 02-02-10
                                          • 3386

                                          #21
                                          ^They were down 42 at one point.
                                          Comment
                                          • Tsoprano
                                            BARRELED IN @ SBR!
                                            • 04-14-08
                                            • 26374

                                            #22
                                            Yes.. Denver game em a Thuggets stomping
                                            Comment
                                            • msubulldog
                                              SBR Sharp
                                              • 01-10-08
                                              • 427

                                              #23
                                              denver one of the few plays I won last night.
                                              Comment
                                              • migz
                                                SBR MVP
                                                • 02-11-10
                                                • 1160

                                                #24
                                                Thank you Denver! You saved me! Haha
                                                Comment
                                                • teecee
                                                  SBR Hall of Famer
                                                  • 09-18-09
                                                  • 6298

                                                  #25
                                                  Not exactly how I expected things to turn out. Normally, if a team is on the 2nd leg of a b2b and visiting Utah, or Denver, I'd be all over Denver/Utah. I played Denver very small last night, b/c I wasn't as sure with this game, especially since it was Denver's 3rd in 4 games.
                                                  Comment
                                                  • ngates815
                                                    SBR Posting Legend
                                                    • 12-01-09
                                                    • 13845

                                                    #26
                                                    This game was just UGLY.
                                                    Comment
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