Wednesday, December 31

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NBA

Denver (20-12, 17-14-1 ATS) at Toronto (12-19, 11-19-1 ATS)

The Raptors return from a rough Western Conference road swing to take on another non-conference opponent in the Nuggets, who continue a four-game road trip with a stop at the Air Canada Centre.

Toronto lost to Golden State 117-111 as a 1½-point road chalk Monday night for its second consecutive SU and ATS setback, capping a six-game trip with a 2-4 SU mark (2-3-1 ATS). Chris Bosh (30 points, 14 rebounds) and Jose Calderon (21 points, 16 assists) had big nights, and the Raptors outrebounded the Warriors 49-37. But Golden State hit 50 percent overall from the floor and 50 percent on 3-pointers (12 of 24), while also knocking down 29 of 33 free throws.

Denver got drubbed at Atlanta 109-91 as a five-point road pup Monday, halting a two-game SU surge. The Nuggets had five players in double figures, but they topped out at Kenyon Martin’s 19-point effort. The game was won from long distance, as Denver went just 5 of 15 from 3-point range, while allowing the Hawks to knock down 12 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc.

Denver has won and covered in the last three meetings with Toronto, including a 132-93 wipeout as a five-point home favorite at the beginning of December – easily the Raptors’ worst defeat of the season so far. The Nuggets are also 5-2 ATS in their last seven trips to the Air Canada Centre.

The Raptors are on a bundle of ATS slides, including 20-41-1 overall, 3-11 at home 1-8 against the Northwest Division, 1-4-1 after a SU loss, 8-22-1 against winning teams and 7-19-1 against the West.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, are on a 2-6 ATS purge overall and are just 1-4 ATS in their last five roadies, but they still carry positive pointspread streaks of 4-0 when playing on one day’s rest, 8-3 as a favorite of less than six points and 11-1 against the Atlantic Division (only non-cover coming at Atlanta on Monday).

The over is 4-1 in Toronto’s last five overall and 6-1 in Denver’s last seven non-conference contests, but the under has hit in the Raptors’ last four home games and is on further runs for Toronto of 5-1 after a day off and 7-3 against winning teams.

Finally, in this rivalry, the under is on a 4-1-1 stretch in games played in Toronto.

ATS ADVANTAGE: DENVER

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