NBA Basketball - Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls (-3, 202½) 8:30 PM EST
 Denver has gotten hot at the right time of the season with five consecutive wins and covers. After floundering for most of the season, the Nuggets are finally playing like the team they envisioned after trading for Allen Iverson.
Now once again the character and mettle of Denver will be tested, as they are in the midst of a five game Eastern Conference road swing and a total of eight of nine contests away from the Mile High city.
Denver has had a great deal of success against the East with a 17-9 and 16-10 against the spread record. Part of this total record is 8-3 SU and ATS mark in the powder blue road jerseys. This excellence will be challenged having to play four of the five top seeded teams from the East over the next 5 days. Starting in Chicago tonight then followed by rapid trips to Toronto, Cleveland and Detroit, the Nuggets will conclude all non-conference action. These four teams have combined to produce 39-21 (33-26-1 ATS) record with a sparkling .650 winning percentage since the All-Star break.
The Bulls have finished strong each of the last two seasons and are doing much the same this year. In 2006 Chicago was 12-4 with matching spread record over the last month of the regular season and in 2005 they closed with a purpose at 12-4 with outstanding 11-3-2 ATS mark.
After winning 7 of 8, Scott Skiles club has dropped two straight versus two very beatable teams in unsuspecting fashion. The Memphis loss could be somewhat explained, given there poor 14-21 road record. The home loss to the Clippers 103-89 as 8-point home favorites was dumbfounding, given L.A. was 10-24 and 12-21-1 ATS before playing at the United Center.
Denver has opened as 4-point road underdogs at sportsbook.com, with a total of 204. Like your typical George Karl coached team, it is often feast or famine. The Nuggets are 11-3 ATS off a road win this season. Denver is also 6-3 ATS as a visitor in the Windy City.
In spite of back to back losses, the Bulls are in familiar territory and have blossomed in this position. Chicago is 20-10 and 18-12 ATS with a day off between games, additionally they are 14-6 ATS in home games after playing two consecutive games as favorite this season.
The total is an intriguing aspect of this contest, with both teams favoring one direction. Denver allows better then 103 points per game on the road and is 11-2 OVER off a road win this season.
The Bulls have surrendered better then 100 points each of the last two games and are 18-9 OVER after a non-conference game this season.
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