The 2021 NBA Playoffs continue Monday, May 24, with Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series between the No. 6 Portland Trail Blazers and No. 3 Denver Nuggets, so here’s the best betting pick for this Northwest Division showdown at Ball Arena in Denver.
Portland thrashed off Denver in the opener this past Saturday, 123-109, playing as 1-point road underdogs. This time, the Trail Blazers are listed as 1.5-point road dogs on William Hill Sportsbook, while the Nuggets are -120 moneyline favorites with a total of 227.0 points.
The Trail Blazers have been terrific lately
The Portland Trail Blazers finished the regular season in style, dominating the Denver Nuggets in a comfortable 132-116 victory at home as 8.5-point favorites. They’ve lost only two of their previous 13 games overall while going 10-3 ATS in the process.
The Trail Blazers dropped 18 triples on the Nuggets in that 16-point win on the home court. They went 19-for-40 from deep last Saturday to grab another easy victory over Denver, though the Nuggets kept it close for most of the first three quarters.
Damian Lillard tortured the Nuggets in Game 1, accounting for 34 points and 13 assists while turning the ball over just two times. C.J. McCollum had 21 points and six rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony added 18 points off the bench.
The Nuggets miss Jamal Murray a lot
The Denver Nuggets will have a tall task to overcome Jamal Murray’s absence in the playoffs even though they ended the regular season with a 47-25 record to earn the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Nikola Jokic is a runaway fave to win the MVP Award, and over his last ten outings, The Joker has been tallying 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists a night. However, Jokic needs more help from his teammates in this playoff series against Portland.
Jokic had 34 points and 16 rebounds in Game 1, but he also dished out just one assist. The Nuggets shot only 11-for-36 from downtown, and Michael Porter Jr. made one triple out of ten attempts. Denver’s backcourt struggled on the defensive end, while Facundo Campazzo and Austin Rivers combined for a paltry 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field.
Trends:
Portland:
- 3-6 ATS in the last nine postseason contests
Denver:
- 11-5-1 ATS in the last 16 playoff games
I don’t think the Nuggets will have enough firepower to eliminate the Trail Blazers in the best-of-seven series, but Denver should win Game 2 to make this matchup interesting to watch. Jamal Murray’s injury is a massive blow for the Nuggets, as Damian Lillard can save all the energy on the defensive end, dealing with Facundo Campazzo and Austin Rivers.
However, I think the Nuggets will shoot the ball much better in this one than they did on Saturday. They have enough defensive weapons to try to slow down the Trail Blazers backcourt, while Nikola Jokic will continue to dominate Portland in the paint.
Pick: Take Denver Nuggets -1.5 at -110
The Total:
The Nuggets have to complete a couple of tasks if they want to tie this series. They need to shoot the ball well, as I’ve already mentioned, but the Nuggets also have to play much better defense. Denver has to be way more aggressive at the perimeter and continue to control the glass, as the Nuggets outrebounded in Game 1.
Therefore, I’m backing the under on the totals. The Nuggets must hold Portland below 110 points in order to win this clash. Denver owns the 12th-best defensive rating in the league (112.1 points allowed per 100 possessions), while Portland is 29th (116.0).
Pick: Go under 227.0 points at -110