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Charlotte Hornets vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 1-1-2024

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Charlotte Hornets vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 1-1-2024


The Charlotte Hornets (7-23; 13-17-0 ATS) are still on the road to ring in the new year. Their journey takes them to Ball Arena on Monday, home of the defending champion Denver Nuggets (23-11; 15-19-0 ATS). The January 1, 2024 contest is scheduled to start at 9:00 p.m. EDT. The Nuggets have won four in a row against the Hornets. Is the streak going to continue, or are the Hornets ready to take steps forward in 2024?

This is not an easy time of the year to beat the books. If you are looking for quality NBA Free Picks, you have found the right place. 

Hornets are Grounded

Charlotte ended 2023 with 10 straight losses, the longest active streak to close the year. The last three came on the West Coast, as the most recent was a 14-point defeat in Phoenix. All of them have come without LaMelo Ball, while Gordon Hayward and Mark Williams are also out for Charlotte. Those absences are an issue for a team that’s 26th in offensive rating. The Hornets average the fewest free throw attempts per game and rank 25th in true shooting percentage. Their efficiency is below average in all areas of the floor. Along with that, Charlotte is subpar with ball security and offensive rebounding. They’ve only reached 110 points four times during the losing streak, and Monday presents another tough test.

Charlotte is ranked last in defensive rating, so don’t expect them to make up for offensive deficiencies on the other end of the floor. They allow the highest three-point percentage and effective field goal percentage in the NBA. They’re 24th in defensive rebounding percentage, so teams often get extra chances too. If there’s any silver lining, the Hornets held Denver to 102 points on December 23. It was their best performance during this losing streak. Still, things are ugly on the defensive end in Charlotte.

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Nuggets’ Nasty Loss

Meanwhile, the Nuggets got embarrassed by the Thunder at home on Friday, falling by 26 to snap a six-game winning streak. Denver has three home losses all season, and two came against OKC. Since December 11, the Nuggets are 9-2, with the only losses coming against the Nuggets. This team that’s eighth in offensive rating thanks to Nikola Jokic should be ecstatic that the Thunder are out of the way. The Nuggets are only 16th in true shooting percentage, but the fourth-best turnover percentage and eighth-highest offensive rebounding percentage optimize most possessions. Denver is eighth in three-point percentage. Getting to the free-throw line and converting those chances is an issue, yet the Nuggets are still a well-oiled machine offensively.

Denver is also tough defensively, ranking eighth in defensive rating. That’s even with a subpar turnover percentage and Aaron Gordon (questionable) missing a few games lately. At all three levels of the floor, the Nuggets are a top-10 team at forcing missed shots. They’re also decent at defensive rebounding and keeping foes off the free-throw line. Thanks to a slow pace, they allow the third-fewest points per game. Defense wins championships, and the Nuggets won it all last season for a reason.

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Best Bets for this Game


Full-Game Side Bet

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Rating:


With the way Denver is playing against everyone not based in Oklahoma City, there shouldn’t be any questions about who wins this game. Considering that Charlotte has dropped 10 straight, the Nuggets winning is a given. The question is, by how much?

Well, Denver only shot 43.3% in the first meeting, well below their season average of 49.0% (4th). That number should drastically improve against a Hornets defense that is the NBA’s worst and allows the 27th-highest field goal percentage this season. The Nuggets can hold the Hornets offense to fewer than 110 points again, even if Charlotte outperforms the 95 they scored against Denver a few weeks ago. This will be a blowout win for the Nuggets.

Prediction: Denver Nuggets -14.5

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Full-Game Total Pick

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The last game didn’t manage to reach 200 total points. Denver plays at the NBA’s second-slowest pace, and the Hornets are also below average. This will be a game with limited possessions, which will keep scoring in check.

Charlotte’s losing streak has included six games with less than 110 points, including only 95 against the Nuggets. That trend should extend into this game, which leaves the total in Denver’s hands. The Nuggets will score plenty, but not reach 120. This game will remain under the total when it’s finished.

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Prediction: Under 227.5

Written By
Andre Ifill , “The Tower”

Watching, playing, and talking about sports has always been an essential part of my life. I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Communication, and now, I’m striving to be an essential voice in sports media for decades to come. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more competitive than me, and that extends into my sports betting predictions as well. We’re all here to win, and my goal is to make that happen every single night while letting my personality shine in the process. I am honored to be apart of this team.  

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Denver, CO

Denver hockey’s Johnny Hicks wins DU Pioneers’ Male Athlete of the Year

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Denver hockey’s Johnny Hicks wins DU Pioneers’ Male Athlete of the Year


Where good news shines What a year it was for Johnny Hicks. The Denver Pioneers’ freshman goaltender was named Denver Athletics’ Male Student-Athlete of the Year on Friday. In helping the Pioneers to their 11th NCAA championship, Hicks was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He set school records with a 16-0-1 mark and 1.19 […]



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Denver, CO

Rockies’ Ryan Feltner pitches a gem, Jake McCarthy shines in 8-3 win over Giants

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Rockies’ Ryan Feltner pitches a gem, Jake McCarthy shines in 8-3 win over Giants


The Rockies threw a boffo welcome-back for Ryan Feltner on Saturday night, and the right-hander was the biggest party animal of all.

Coming back from an elbow injury and making his first big-league start since April 23, the right-hander celebrated by pitching six crisp, efficient innings in Colorado’s 8-3 win over the Giants at Coors Field. Feltner allowed no runs, just four hits, struck out two, and walked none.  He needed just 63 pitches, throwing 41 for strikes.

“I felt great and felt like all of my pitches were working,” said Feltner, who became the first Rockies starter to pitch six scoreless innings with no walks since lefty Kyle Freeland on Sept. 5 of last season vs. San Diego.

“I was really happy about the efficiency part of the game,” Feltner added. “It’s always important to go deep into a game here (at Coors).”

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Manager Warren Schaeffer said there was never any thought about pushing Feltner past six innings after Feltner made just two minor league rehab starts.

“There was no reason to push him into the seventh; he did his job,”  Schaeffer said. “His fastball command was exceptional, his slider was good and he got double-play balls early when he needed to. I just thought he controlled his game very well.

“He controlled his emotions, he was in attack mode, and like we talked about before the game, when he does that, he’s pretty dang good.”

The Rockies, who beat San Francisco 8-6 on Friday night on a walk-off homer by Ezequiel Tovar, clinched their first series win since sweeping the Mets from April 24-29 in New York.

Feltner got plenty of support.

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The Rockies have had a nasty habit this season of scoring early only to see the offense go into hibernation. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The Rockies kept piling on and taking away any chance for late-game drama in LoDo.

“When a guy goes out there and grinds away, like Feltner did, you want to reward them with run,” said center fielder Jake McCarthy, who had a big night from the leadoff spot, going 3 for 4 with a walk and driving in four runs.

McCarthy’s 427-foot two-run homer in the fourth off Giants right-hander Adrian Houser gave Colorado a 4-0 lead. McCarthy added an RBI single in the fifth and another in Colorado’s three-run seventh. He also recorded his club-leading 10th stolen base and reached base four times for the eighth time in his career.

“I haven’t been patient the last week, I had a lot of pretty bad at-bats” he said. “But I think it’s just about getting good pitches to hit.  … Getting into good counts, seeing pitches and taking pitcher’s pitches you can make it easier on yourself. I think I did a good job of that tonight.”



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Denver, CO

Colorado outdoor spirit, music comes to downtown Denver

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Colorado outdoor spirit, music comes to downtown Denver


For one weekend a year, Denverites no longer have to drive to the mountains to experience the outdoor life Colorado has to offer. Although the music and film offerings may not be as plentiful in the mountains. The Outside Days festival returned to Denver Friday, bringing yoga, rock climbing and other outdoor activities to downtown. […]



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