The Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets will square off for the second time in this first-round series on Monday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Blazers-Nuggets prediction and pick.
If Game 1 was any indicator, this should be one of the most competitive series of the first round. The Blazers pulled off the upset in the first game with a 123-109 victory over Denver. The Blazers will now look to steal both games on the road before returning to Portland with a chance to close it out.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Blazers-Nuggets odds.
NBA Odds: Blazers-Nuggets Odds
Portland Trail Blazers +1.5 (-109)
Denver Nuggets -1.5 (-111)
Over 227 Points (-110)
Under 227 Points (-110)
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
The Blazers pulled off a huge win in Game 1 to steal the momentum. Although the 14-point win seems like it was comfortable on paper, it certainly was not. The Blazers were tested all night by the MVP favorite and had to build a wall around him to slow him down. Nikola Jokic was limited to just one assist, which was a huge win for Portland. The Blazers had to win in a few key areas in order to pull off the upset.
Portland shot 19 free throws on the night, while Denver was limited to just eight attempts from the charity stripe. The Blazers also dominated from beyond the arc, which ultimately ran the score up and allowed them to pull away. It all started with the play of Damian Lillard, who dropped 34 points and delivered 13 assists in the win. Jusuf Nurkic controlled the paint with 16 points and 12 boards in a solid double-double performance. Portland will have to continue to get guys like Carmelo Anthony open on the perimeter to create space on the interior.
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The Nuggets played very competitive basketball and stuck around until the end with Portland in Game 1. Denver was able to do this without a normal performance from its leader, Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets star had an uncharacteristic game with just one assist in the loss. Jokic did register a double-double with 34 points and 16 rebounds, but the lack of creating elsewhere limited the supporting cast's contributions.
Michael Porter Jr. was solid overall in the game, but his 1-10 shooting from deep was certainly detrimental in Game 1. In a game that saw the Blazers light up the scoreboard from deep, they needed better efficiency from their best perimeter player. Porter still registered 25 points and nine boards. The role players delivered some solid outings, but it will be up to Jokic and Porter to hit their outside shots and create looks for the rest of the squad in Game 2.
Final Blazers-Nuggets Prediction & Pick
I'm confident the Nuggets will bounce back and take a crucial Game 2 on their home court. Denver has been in this spot several times and knows it can't allow the Blazers to come in and steal two games like this. Nikola Jokic will find a way to get his guys going and Porter will be more efficient. The Nuggets will get physical and turn this into an inside-out type of game, which will make life for difficult for Portland.
FINAL PICK: Denver Nuggets -1.5 (-111)
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