This is a 10* play on the Denver Nuggets.

Last season was tough for the Nuggets, who were hit hard by injuries. There is reason to be optimistic coming into this year though, with Arron Afflalo coming over from Orlando, and Danillo Gallinari back and healthy. Their 2-6 record in the pre-season doesn't look very impressive, but the one thing that I noticed about that, was that only one of those games was played at the Pepsi Center. That was a 114-101 win over Oklahoma City.

While it wasn't the case last year, Denver's home court advantage at the Pepsi Center has been undeniable in recent years. In 2013 the Nuggets won 38-of-41 home games, more than the Heat, Spurs, Thunder or Clippers. They might struggle to win 38 games in Denver this year, but I certainly expect an improvement from last season.

The Pistons haven't had a lot of success in recent visits to Denver, losing their last five by and average margin of 11.5 points. They'll be without forward Greg Monroe, who is serving a two game suspension.

Take DEN.

GL,

Jesse Schule