NBA Betting: Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Series Odds, Expert Picks, Best Bet

A pair of Northwest Division rivals will collide in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The No. 6 seed Portland Trail Blazers will battle the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets for the right to continue in pursuit of a championship. Although the Nuggets claimed two of the three head-to-head meetings between the teams this season, the Blazers won the most recent showdown going away. T odds all but promise this to be a fun series, and the presence of superstars on both sides makes it a great one to have some NBA betting picks and predictions riding on as well.

This Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets NBA betting series preview will explore the best NBA betting odds, provide some key betting trends and offer the top NBA betting picks and predictions for this Round 1 Playoffs matchup.

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Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Betting Preview: NBA Picks & Odds for Round 1 Playoffs

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Series Info

(6) Portland Trail Blazers (42-30) vs. (3) Denver Nuggets (47-25)

Game 1: Saturday, 5/22, 10:30 EST, ESPN
Game 2: Monday, 5/24, 10 EST, TNT
Game 3: Thursday, 5/27, 10:30 EST, NBA TV
Game 4: Saturday, 5/29, 4 EST, TNT
*Game 5: Tuesday, 6/1, TBD
*Game 6: Thursday, 6/3, TBD
*Game 7: Saturday, 6/5, TBD

* If necessary

Trail Blazers vs. Clippers NBA Betting Odds

Odds for Trail Blazers vs, Nuggets NBA Playoffs Round 1 series are from William Hill Sportsbook.

Series Winner: POR: (-130) | DEN: (+110)

Series Total Game:

4 Games (+650)
5 Games (+275)
6 Games (+200)
7 Games: (+190)

Series Correct Score:

Nuggets:

4-0 (+1400)
4-1 (+550)
4-2 (+500)
4-3 (+400)

Trail Blazers:

4-0 (+1500)
4-1 (+700)
4-2 (+400)
4-3 (+450)

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets NBA Playoffs Preview

The Trail Blazers rattled off wins in six of their final seven regular-season games. This enabled them to escape participation in the inaugural NBA Play-In Tournament and instead insert themselves directly into the bracket as the 6-seed. Portland dealt with injuries left and right this season, but the team is as healthy as they’ve been at any point entering the postseason. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are on par with any backcourt in the NBA. Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkic may be more of a factor in this series than people are expecting. The oft-injured center is significantly underrated in terms of what he brings to the table because of his inability to stay healthy. Trade-deadline acquisition Norman Powell was also a huge get for the Blazers as far as shoring up one of the league’s poorer defenses.

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While Portland is finally healthy, the Nuggets went in the complete opposite direction in terms of injuries this season. A season-ending knee injury to Jamal Murray was followed by a significant hamstring injury to Will Barton. Luckily, Nikola Jokic saved some of his best performances for when Denver needed them the most down the stretch. Jokic is a massive NBA betting favorite to win MVP and is a matchup nightmare for just about every team in the league. He nearly averaged a triple-double this season with 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists. Even with all of the injuries, the Nuggets still managed to win nine of their final 13 games and slip past the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 3 seed.

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets NBA Betting Trends

Trail Blazers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.
Trail Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as an NBA betting underdog.
Nuggets are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four Conference Quarterfinals playoff games.
Under is 5-2 in the Trail Blazers’ last seven road games against teams with a winning record.
Under is 4-1 in the Nuggets’ last five games as an NBA betting favorite.
Trail Blazers are 4-0 ATS in their last four head-to-head meetings against the Nuggets.

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Prediction

Although they are the higher seed in this series, the injuries will likely catch up with the Nuggets sooner than later in the postseason. While their finish to the regular season was certainly impressive, several of those wins came against vastly inferior competition. The Trail Blazers team Denver is up against in the first round of the NBA Playoffs is anything but. Portland has a roster full of playmakers and also rich in postseason experience. It will be fascinating to watch Jokic tangle with his former teammate, Nurkic, down low throughout the series. In the end, the NBA betting odds are very telling in that the lower-seeded Blazers are slim series favorites.

Series Prediction: Trail Blazers 4, Nuggets 2

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Best Bet

6 Total Games (+200) at William Hill

A wager on this Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets NBA Playoffs series to end in six games is appealing for a few reasons. First and foremost, Game 6 of the series would take place at the Moda Center in Portland. In what could be a potential closeout game for the Blazers, this falls right into the handicap of the series outlined above. Second, a prediction that the Trail Blazers will win does not by any means serve to dismiss Jokic and the Nuggets entirely. Denver could surprise even though they are shorthanded. Because of this, 2-1 odds on a six-game outcome either way are preferred to betting Portland to win in six at 4-1.

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