The Portland Trail Blazers return home to the Moda Center after getting whacked by the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 and hope their home crowd can give them a burst for Game 6. The Blazers have looked sapped of energy since that epic overtime in Game 3 and with their season on the line, look for them to empty the chamber against a feisty Nuggets squad that continues to put up a fight in road games.
The Blazers opened as 4-point favorites with a total of 215.5.
Nuggets vs Blazers Game Center
STANDOUT STATS
- The lack of frontcourt depth has started to take a toll on the Blazers in this series as they’ve been outrebounded in three of five games while being outscored in the paint in four of five. In two games in Portland, Enes Kanter has only scored a total of 23 points and continues to deal with a shoulder injury while manning the center position.
- The Blazers were red-hot shooting from behind the arc in the first round but that has yet to carry over to this round. Through five games, the Blazers are averaging 32.7 percent from behind the arc and in two games in Portland, they combined to shoot 24-for-70 from three-point range with Damian Lillard going 4-for-16.
- The Nuggets have been a brutal first-quarter bet lately at 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games. In the postseason, they’re averaging just 23.5 points in the Sportsbook quarter while the Blazers are averaging 28.7. It’s also worth noting that the Blazers are 4-1 ATS in the first quarter of games in this series.
- Nikola Jokic had another monster game in Game 5 as he finished with 25 points, 19 rebounds and six assists, and has three triple-doubles thus far in the series. The big man has shot 52.6 percent from the field and is averaging 26.4 points, 14.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the series.
- OVER bettors will need to take a hard look at the total again for Game 6 because of the trends coming into this matchup. The OVER has hit in eight of the last nine games in this matchup (avg. combined score: 221.6) and the OVER has also hit in seven of the Blazers’ last eight games in the second round of the playoffs.
My Best Bet for Nuggets vs Blazers
OVER 215
I’ve cashed on taking the OVER in four of five games in this series and I don’t intend on stopping now. The Nuggets are a team that will not go away, as the Spurs and Blazers have learned, and I expect them to put up at least 110 points tonight because of their depth and ability to score in the post.
The Blazers have looked gassed after that epic overtime stretch in Game 3 but with their season on the line, I fully expect Lillard and McCollum to fire away and put up 40 three-point attempts in an effort to save their season. The OVER has hit in four of five games in this series and eight of nine games in this matchup since the start of the season and I don’t see that trend failing me now given the stakes.
