Although it is still very early in the regular season and it is difficult to draw any conclusions, it is very likely that these two teams will be direct competitors for home court advantage in the playoffs, and every win against a direct competitor is worth gold. A win would put Houston in 2nd place in the Western Conference and closer to L.A. Lakers (12-2), while for Denver, a win would mean catching the Rockets in the standings.
Houston Rockets
Houston will enter this game looking for their 9th consecutive win, which is currently the longest winning streak in the league. The Rockets have been unstoppable over the last 2 weeks and the tandem of Westbrook and Harden seems to be working well for many. The Rockets are averaging a 14.8 point margin of victory in their 8 game winning streak, including the last two victories by an average of 23.5 points against strong Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves teams.
Westbrook and Harden combined for 64 points in their last game against the Trail Blazers, of which Harden scored 36, while Westbrook added 28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double.
Westbrook also adds his share: 21.6 pts., 8.4 rpg. The third most important player of the team, Swiss Clint Capela, simply enjoys playing with these two creators: 14.1 pts. and 7.1 res. 14.1 pts. and 13.1 pts.
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Denver Nuggets
We talked about the Rockets going into the game looking for their 9th win in a row and their impressive form, but Denver can't be underestimated either. The Nuggets, who have won 6 of their last 7 games, haven't done it as easily as the Rockets, but a win is a win, and that's the most important thing. Averaging 9 points, including a 131-114 thrashing of the Memphis Grizzlies last time out, the Nuggets will be looking to defend their home court.
The Rockets have clear leaders and their game plan is quite predictable, while the Nuggets' strengths are completely different. Denver has a much longer bench and, in general, all the players on the team know their roles and play them well, it's not an all-or-nothing show for one player. Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris - any one of these players can pull the team forward when the opportunity arises, not to mention the other backups who also contribute. It's also worth mentioning that the Nuggets have had 5 different high scorers in 12 games played, which once again shows how versatile this team is.
Nevertheless, the team's key players who organize the offense and are the first options on offense include J. Murray (19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists), N. Jokic (16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6 assists) and W. Barton (14.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists).
Mutual history
The Houston Rockets are 4-1 in their last 5 games, winning the series 4-1, losing only once last season on the road by 136-122. Since Denver's team is practically unchanged from last season and the Rockets have added Westbrook, who seems to fit well in tandem with Harden, it's expected that Houston will have the advantage in this matchup.
Forecast
On one side we have a more individually talented team with 2 clear leaders and some of the best players in the league, while on the other side of the pitch we have one of the most balanced line-ups, coached by a great strategist. Anyway, Denver is in 3rd place in the standings, but their play is not convincing and their wins have come against relatively weaker teams, with a home loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Not only did the Rockets beat the Clippers, Pacers, Trail Blazers and Timberwolves, but they did it in a confident manner, showing great sportsmanship. Taking into account that the history between the Rockets and the Nuggets is unequivocally on the Rockets' side, it is safe to say that the visitors from Houston should be the favourites for this game.
Currently, the bookmakers' lines have the Nuggets as the favourite (1.71), while the Rockets can be backed at 2.2 odds. At the very least, the odds should be even here, and the opportunity and value on offer should be taken advantage of.
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