On Saturday, the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak came to an end as they were blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers. After beating the Clippers on Sunday to extend their winning streak to three games, the Indiana Pacers will be looking to make it two wins in a row when they host the Nuggets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
In a high-scoring matchup, my Nuggets vs. Pacers predictions call for Tyrese Haliburton to keep scoring.
Take a look at my NBA predictions for Monday, February 24 at 7 p.m. ET to find out why I think you should wager on the Over on Hali’s points prop.
Forecast: Nuggets vs. Pacers
My top choice
John Haliburton The spread is 19.5 points (-110 with bet365).
This is what I’ve determined
Tyrese Haliburton has not scored 18.1 points per game since he has been with the Indiana Pacers. Even if his offence has dropped, I still think he’ll score 20 points tonight against the visiting Denver Nuggets.
The point guard for the Hoosiers has scored 20 points or more in three consecutive games and in 20 of 53 games this season overall. That includes eleven out of twenty-three games played at home, where he has scored more goals.
With a field goal percentage of 47.3% and a three-point percentage of 39.9%, Haliburton is averaging 19.5 points and 3.2 triples a game in their home court. Even when playing away from home, those stats drop to 16.7 points, 2.7 threes, and 43.3/34.5 shooting percentages.
This is a great matchup for Haliburton because the Nuggets have let opponent point guards score 24.4 points and shoot 3.5 triples in their last 15 games. All season long, Denver’s perimeter defence has been a weak spot; the Nuggets’ 36.1% three-point defence ranks eleventh in the league. That proportion is now the second-highest, having increased to 39.4 over the past 15 days.
In the regular season, Denver has allowed 13.9 threes per game, which ranks sixth-most. In the past 15 games, that figure has increased to 14.8 threes per game, ranking fifth-most. Over that time, the Nuggets’ defensive rating has been the 11th worst in the NBA, and they have enabled an average of 117.1 points per game.
Both Denver and Indiana’s offences have been solid all year, but they’ve been on fire as of late. With a high point total of 246.5, I’m going with the Over. With that many points in the game, Haliburton is certain to score at least 20.
The Nuggets have a perfect record (8-0) against the Pacers in their past eight meetings in this series, and the Pacers haven’t won a home game against Denver in nearly six years. As the favourite, the Nuggets are 31-13, while on the road, they are 13-7. As an underdog, Indiana is merely 12-11 against the spread and 3-4 at home. Following their devastating loss to the Lakers, I’m rooting for the Nuggets to pick up where they left off.
With an average of 116.5 points per game, the Pacers rank ninth in the NBA this season, while the Nuggets sit atop the league with 121.3. With 124.5 points, Denver is in second place over the last 15 games, while Indiana is in sixth place with 119.7. Within that time frame, the offensive rating of Denver was 124.4, ranking second in the Association, while that of Indiana was 117.2, ranking tenth.
As a team, the Nuggets have an Over/Under record of 34-22-1, while the Pacers have a record of 31-22-2. A plethora of goals should be scored in Indianapolis this evening.
