The Trail Blazers have matched up well to the Nuggets winning six of the past seven in the series, including going 3-1 last season.

Yet the line opened around pick because Portland is just 6-6 while the Nuggets are 7-2 in their last nine games.

Portland, though, could be 10-2 instead of 6-6 if close games had gone its way. The Trail Blazers rank No. 1 in rebounding percentage, hold a strong backcourt edge on the Nuggets with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and rank fifth in 3-point percentage.

Denver is in an odd scheduling spot. The Nuggets have played six straight home games. This is their first road game in 12 days. The Nuggets then return home to host New Orleans. That game doesn't come until Friday. Denver is 1-4 ATS in its last five road contests.

The Nuggets beat Orlando, 125-107, this past Saturday night. The Magic, though, were without their two top point guards. The Nuggets rolled to an 18-point victory. Denver defeated Oklahoma City in its previous game before Orlando.

So I don't believe the Nuggets will have as much intensity as the Trail Blazers will have. Portland has one of the best home-courts in the NBA. The Trail Blazers are off a surprising and hugely disappointing home loss to the Nets this past Friday. They had the weekend to steam about that defeat. Now they have an opportunity to vent that frustration in a favorable scheduling spot against a foe they've had good success against.