Tip-off: Thursday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Houston -8.0, Total: 214.0

The Rockets look to win their third straight game when they host a suddenly competitive Nuggets team Thursday.

The Nuggets went into Memphis on Monday and lost 92-81 as 12.5-point underdogs. Denver had won four straight games SU before that loss and the team has covered in five straight games as well. The Nuggets are also 6-3 SU and 8-1 ATS since firing Brian Shaw on Mar. 3. The Rockets, meanwhile, beat the Magic 107-94 as 11-point home favorites on Tuesday. Houston has won-and-covered in two straight games and four of its past six. The Rockets have held their past two opponents to less than 100 points and that type of defense makes them very tough to beat with their high-powered offense. These teams have met three times this season and the Rockets have been dominant, winning-and-covering in all three meetings. Houston last hosted the Nuggets on Dec. 13, 2014, when the Rockets won 108-96 as 7-point favorites. Despite the recent dominance by Houston, the teams have split wins SU over the past three seasons and Denver is 6-4 ATS in those games. Denver is 19-8 ATS in March games over the past two seasons. Houston, however, is 11-2 ATS in home games after a non-conference game this season. The Nuggets are not currently dealing with any injuries and PG Patrick Beverley (Elbow) and SG Jason Terry (Hamstring) are questionable for the Rockets, who are already without C Dwight Howard (Knee) and SF Kostas Papanikolaou (Ankle) indefinitely.

The Nuggets have been playing extremely well as of late and a lot of that has to do with the resurgence of SF Danilo Gallinari (10.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG). Gallinari looked like his knee injuries would keep him from being the player he once was in the first half of the season, but he has completely turned things around lately. In March, Gallinari is averaging 17.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He did, however, have just 11 points the last time he faced the Rockets and he will need to find his stroke in this one. PF Kenneth Faried (11.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG) has also been playing extremely well for the Nuggets. Over the past four games, Faried is averaging 19.3 PPG, 10.8 RPG and 2.0 BPG. He has struggled against the Rockets this year, averaging just 7.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three games against the team. He’ll need to be extremely active in this one, as his combination of speed and athleticism for a player his size should really give this Rockets team some issues. PG Ty Lawson (15.9 PPG, 9.7 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG) is averaging 14.7 PPG and 12.7 APG in three games against the Rockets this season. If Patrick Beverley is unable to play for Houston then Lawson will dominate this game. He is far too quick and crafty for any of the other Rockets guards to stay in front of consistently. SG Will Barton (6.3 PPG) will be an x-factor in this one. Barton had just five points against the Grizzlies on Monday, but he had 25 points, nine boards, three assists, three steals and a block against the Pelicans on Sunday. He has played well for Denver and will need to continue being aggressive in his increased minutes.

The Rockets have played some great basketball recently and SG James Harden (26.7 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG) has kept his team afloat even with some major injuries to the roster this season. Harden had just 17 points against the Magic on Tuesday, but he had 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a win over the Clippers on Sunday. He has also dominated the Nuggets this season, averaging 31.0 PPG, 9.0 APG, 6.0 RPG and 1.7 SPG in three games against the team. His ability to get to the rim with ease and also find his teammates for open shots makes him one of the toughest guys to guard in the league. PF Terrence Jones (12.5 PPG, 75 RPG, 1.7 BPG) had just six points and three rebounds in 30 minutes against the Magic on Tuesday, but he had 10+ rebounds in four straight games before that. Jones will need to be a monster on the glass in this game, as his matchup with Kenneth Faried will be huge in determining the outcome of this one. PF Donatas Motiejunas (11.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG) has had some of his best games of the season against Denver. When these teams met on Mar. 7, the big man had 18 points, six rebounds and five assists in just 30 minutes of action. He is a crafty scorer in the post and also has a smooth stroke on his jumper. With the Nuggets being thin in their frontcourt, he should be in for another huge game Thursday. SF Trevor Ariza (12.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.9 SPG) will need to be at his best in this game. He’s been hot lately, averaging 18.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.0 SPG over the past two contests. His offense will be a bonus, but he must do a good job of guarding Danilo Gallinari in this one. PG Patrick Beverley (10.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.0 SPG) is one of the better two-way players in this league. He can challenge anybody on the defensive end and is also a very good shooter from the outside (35% 3PT). If he can play then it’d be a big boost for the Rockets.