The Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors go at it again at Chase Center for Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Nuggets-Warriors prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

 

The Warriors took Game 1 in San Francisco led by Jordan Poole's 30 points. The 22-year-old remained in the starting unit for Golden State, despite Stephen Curry's return, and had a spectacular postseason debut. Curry came off the bench in an effort to bring him back slowly after returning from a month-long absence due to an injured foot. Klay Thompson also paced the Warriors with 19 points and five 3-pointers, while Draymond Green was up to his usual tricks with 12 points, nine assists, and six rebounds.

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic led Denver with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. However, Green made it tough for the reigning MVP all night, as he shot a sub-par 12-of-25 percent from the field. Will Barton added 24 points for Denver. The two teams meet again for Game 2 as the Nuggets look to tie the series before heading to the Mile High City for Games 3 and 4.

Here is how Fanduel has set the Nuggets-Warriors NBA Playoffs odds for this Monday night NBA playoff matchup.

NBA Playoffs Odds: Nuggets-Warriors Odds

Denver Nuggets: +7 (-110)

Golden State Warriors: -7 (-110)

Over: 225 (-110)

Under: 225 (-110)

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Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread

Game 1 was a tight contest through the first 21 minutes of action until the Warriors pulled away with a 15-4 run to end the first half. The Nuggets were punched in the mouth through that stretch — where Steve Kerr brought out the five-man unit of Curry, Poole, Thompson, Wiggins, and Green — and never recovered.

The Warriors like that small-ball lineup despite the lack of size since Green can hold his own against some of the league's elite big men with his bulk, length, and defensive IQ. Golden State ran off the Nuggets with that five and as such, Denver will need to find an answer on how to solve that unit, especially defensively. It's definitely a tall order since the Nuggets are going to need Jokic on the floor at all times.

The Nuggets will need to do a better job with their rotations on defense, since the Warriors' offense was in such a good flow, especially near the end of the second quarter and through the third period. That's certainly easier said than done, given Golden State's plethora of shooting and players who can make plays on the fly. But the Nuggets should look at the first quarter film, where they forced the Warriors to commit four turnovers. With this kind of offense, Golden State is prone to giveaways and this is how Denver can slow down the Warriors' attack.

Nonetheless, regardless of what happened in Game 1, The Joker still has a massive size advantage over Golden State's big men, so that's always a match-up they can go to offensively. They will also need more production from guys such as Aaron Gordon and Monte Morris, who both had a relatively quiet evening on both ends of the floor.

Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread

The Warriors were six-point favorites and Game 1 and obviously smashed that with a 16-point victory on Saturday. The game was tight through the majority of the first half.

Jordan Poole was the star of the show with a historic NBA postseason debut, dropping 30 points on an ultra-efficient 9-of-13 shooting to go along with five 3-pointers and 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line. That performance tied him with Mitch Richmond for the second-most points in a playoff debut in franchise history.

As much as Poole was the talk of The Town, it was still a complete team effort for the Warriors in Game 1. 33 of their 43 field goals made came off assists. The ball was moving around, the offense was flowing with movement and this resulted in an efficient game that saw the team shoot 52.4 percent from the field. Golden State also found the stroke from long range, shooting 16-of-35 (45.7 percent).

Klay Thompson is also looking more like the Klay Thompson of old, especially in the first quarter, where he made three triples. If he continues to stroke it from distance just as he has been through the last stretch of the regular season, the Warriors have a good chance to cover in Game 2.

Stephen Curry came off the bench in Game 1, playing 22 minutes and seeing short five-to-six minute stints throughout. He understandably struggled out of the gates, missing his first five shots. But he eventually found the stroke and finished with 16 points and three 3-pointers. With one game under his belt, and finding a bit of a rhythm in the second half, Curry should be better than he was in Game 1. And that's not good news for Denver.

Final Nuggets-Warriors Prediction & Pick

The Warriors should win Game 2 and cover this again. They've been in a rhythm dating back to the end of the regular season and are now on a six-game winning streak. Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson are both shooting lights out, and if Steph Curry joins the fray as he gets back into form, it will be tough for Denver to overcome all that marksmanship. We saw in Game 1 just how much of a headache it was for the Nuggets to deal with Golden State's offense and that will likely continue to be the trend in Game 2.

Final Nuggets-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Warriors: -7 (-110)