Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets, Jusuf Nurkic #27 of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nuggets vs. Blazers Series Odds
| Nuggets | Blazers | |
|---|---|---|
| Series Winner | -120 | +100 |
| Win in 4 | +900 | +1400 |
| Win in 5 | +450 | +750 |
| Win in 6 | +400 | +500 |
| Win in 7 | +350 | +500 |
| Odds as of Thursday and via PointsBet. | ||
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets’ season had multiple iterations due to injuries. They dominated through the ridiculous ‘NBA Jam-esque’ production of the star duo of likely MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray before the point guard was lost for the season.
They added Aaron Gordon on the wing to play alongside second-year forward Michael Porter Jr. on the wing and provide more defensive versatility. They have the recently acquired Austin Rivers and Facundo Campazzo in the backcourt to provide mixture of scoring and playmaking in the playoffs.
But at the end of the day, Jokic is the engine that makes this team go. He finished tied for 11th in scoring (26.4) and eighth in assists (8.3), and his passing led to 20.7 points per game for his teammates.
Will Barton will join Murray on the sidelines with a hamstring injury that has him out indefinitely. PJ Dozier is also a question mark in this series. Nuggets guard Monte Morris will also be a player to watch on the injury front.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have had one of their trademark seasons in the sense that they had a lull and big defensive collapse — aided by injuries –before they turned it on and collectively went into Dame Time as a unit. Damian Lillard’s heroics help the Blazers finish with the best point differential (+3.0) in clutch time this season.
Portland has done enough down the stretch to solidify its reputation as a playoff team that, despite its defensive flaws, has enough offensive firepower to scare any team. The Blazers ranked second in Offensive Rating (117.1) and were even more potent during a 12-game stretch to end the season scoring 124.5 points per 100 possessions during that stretch.
Portland has been a good against the spread (ATS) squad, and they have outstanding on the road. This should give Portland bettors some confidence to cover in the first game in the opening round. With this Portland team going over often, their nightly point total may be the true value bet to monitor in Round 1.
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Game 1 Odds
| Trail Blazers Odds | +1 |
| Nuggets Odds | -1 |
| Moneyline | -105 / -115 |
| Over/Under | 227.5 |
| Time | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds as of Thursday and via BetMGM. | |
Game 2: Monday, May 24 | 10 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Thursday, May 27 | 10:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 4: Saturday, May 29 | 4 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 5: If Nec.
Game 6: If Nec.
Game 7: If Nec.
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