The defending champion Denver Nuggets get set to clash against the Houston Rockets Friday night inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. They jump it up at 9:00pm.

Bookmaker the defending champion Nuggets as a solid - 7 point favorite. 

The Nuggets (14-8) have hit a little bump in the road as they have dropped two straight games after winning four straight games. They have had some issues on the defensive end of the floor and when they win they really can scorem but defensively they need to clean things up. 

On offense, they are led by all-world center and perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic who once again has shown he is still arguably the best player in the league, as he is averaging 28 points per game to go along with 12.9 rebounds and close to ten assists per contest.

They love to push the pace and get up down the floor at a wild pace and look for them to try to get over 110 points. During their four-game recent winning streak they were scoring around 125 a game. The Nuggets are such a battle tested team and they know how to win close games and you almost get the sense they are due for a serious run of wins as well. They are very deep and can also rely on their bench. 

The Rockets (9-9) just snapped a three-game slide by rebounding with a nice 110-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are a solid team and they are still trying to find their identity on the offensive side of the ball. 

They are paced by 21-year-old center Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and close to six assists per contest. He has scored 20 or more points in five straight games, including a 31-point explosion against the Dallas Mavericks. 

He has come into his own this season as he is averaging about seven points more this season than last. Shooting guard Jalen Green has been a nice scoring option as well, netting 18 points per contest to go along with just under rebounds as well. 

The Rockets connect on 54% from the floor, including 36.3% from beyond the arc and if they can get some open looks and knock down their shots they can win this game. Houston needs to also do a better job on the glass and defending in the lane. 

Denver is 3-2 in their last five games and 2-2 in their last five games against the number. The Nuggets are 3-10 in their road games against the spread and the totals have gone over in three of their last five games and the totals have gone over in five of their last nine games at home. Hosuton is 2-3 in their last five games and 2-2 in their last five games against the spread. The Rockets are 3-4 in their road games against the number and the totals have gone over in two of their last five games.