Spurs favoured to continue win streak, keep pace with Warriors
Published:
Daniel Coyle, American Sports Correspondent | November 27, 2015
San Antonio Spurs @ Denver Nuggets
The San Antonio Spurs will try to keep pace with the undefeated Golden State Warriors by posting their 10th win in their last 11, when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in the NBA as 8.5-point favourites with Coral.
Playing in the shadow of the record-setting Warriors, who this week set the record for best season start with their 16th straight victory, the Spurs have quietly amassed the next best run.
San Antonio has charged to a 12-3 start on the strength of the Association’s best defense, holding opponents to just 90.5 points per game over the first month of the campaign, and just 83 points per game during their current three-game straight up win streak.
Not surprisingly, the UNDER has dominated in point total betting on matchups involving the Spurs, going 6-1 in their last seven, and 10-4-1 on the season. But with the Spurs becoming increasingly heavy favourites, they have struggled to pick up against the spread wins, going 3-4 in their last seven, and just 1-3 ATS when favoured by double-digits.
The Nuggets return to action on Black Friday searching for an end to the four-game SU losing streak that started with a 109-98 loss to the Spurs in San Antonio 10 days ago.
Denver has since posted three straight losses at home, surrendering over 114 points per game while going winless ATS.
The club will be without forward Kenneth Faried, who will sit for a third straight game nursing back and ankle injuries, but hope to get another strong performance out of rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, who has kicked off his NBA career on a strong note, leading the team in assists per game and blocks, while also recording a pair of double-doubles.
Spurs, winners in their last eight against Denver, return home on Saturday for a date with the Atlanta Hawks before wrapping up November with a visit to Chicago on Monday night.
Denver, meanwhile, kicks off a five-game road swing on Saturday when they take on the suddenly struggling Dallas Mavericks, before travelling to Milwaukee on Monday night.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Houston Rockets
While speculation heats up on the Warriors’ chances of matching the 1995/96 Chicago Bulls’ record-setting 72-win season, the Philadelphia 76ers continue their quiet march towards infamy, taking their 0-16 record into Houston on Friday, where they face the Rockets as 10.5-point underdogs.
The Sixers last recorded a win over eight months ago, and this week tied the NBA record of 26 straight losses, which they also equalled just two years ago.
Philly is also just two defeats short of equalling the all-time mark for most losses to start a season, set by the 2009 New Jersey Nets, but will have their best chance yet to halt the bleeding against a Rockets squad on the verge of freefall.
After winning 55 games last season, Houston has limped to a 5-10 SU start, posting a 1-7 SU record in their last eight.
Indeed, the Rockets are not just losing, they are losing big, going down to defeat by an average margin of over 10 points during their current slide, tumbling to 28th in the league in team defense, surrendering 106.8 points per game.
The Rockets have enjoyed recent success against Philly, winning their last three overall, and four straight at home, but have covered the spread just once in their last five against the Sixers.
In other NBA betting action at Coral on Friday night, the Bucks visit the Orlando Magic as 4.5-point underdogs, and the Hawks take on the Memphis Grizzlies as 3.5-point underdogs, while the Indiana Pacers are favoured by 3.5 against the Bulls.
