After an offensive explosion in Game 1 between the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets, the defenses will look to regroup for Game 2 tonight. The Nuggets scored 121 points in Game 1 and that was their highest scoring output in the postseason thus far and they're 3-2 ATS in five home games in the playoffs.
The Blazers will need to hold Denver to below 50 percent from the field if they want to take Game 2 but oddsmakers have opened them as 4-point underdogs with a total of 219.5.
Blazers vs Nuggets Game Center
STANDOUT STATS
- Outside of the Game 1 hiccup vs the Spurs, the Nuggets have been very solid at home in the postseason. Denver is holding opponents to 99 points per game, 44.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc and are 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS at the Pepsi Center.
- In Game 1 vs the Blazers, the Nuggets’ defense wasn’t great but it didn’t need to be with the way they were shooting. Denver put up 121 points, which is the most it’s scored in the postseason, and shot 50.6 percent from the floor. The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic with 37 points and he’s scored 20 or more points in six of eight playoff games.
- The Blazers have been making waves this postseason after knocking off the Thunder and it’s mainly due to their three-point shooting. Portland leads all playoff teams at 40.1 percent from behind the arc on an average of 31.2 attempts per game. In Game 1, they shot 11 for 29 from deep with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum only combining for 6 for 19 from three-point range.
- The Nuggets have been a brutal first-quarter bet lately and are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games. In the postseason, they're averaging just 23.8 pts in the Sportsbook quarter while the Blazers are averaging 29.
- Coming into this series, the Blazers frontcourt was supposed to be a liability but Enes Kanter has been a scoring machine. Kanter dropped 26 points on 11 of 14 shooting in Game 1 and helped the Blazers to outscore the Nuggets 56-50 in the paint while outrebounding them 47-42.
- OVER Bettors have been cashing at an alarming rate in this matchup as the OVER has hit in each game between the Blazers and Nuggets since the start of the regular season (five games). In those contests, the average combined score was 228 and in three games at the Pepsi Center, the average was 231. The first half total opened at 107.5 and it’s worth noting that only once in five games did the first halves combine for less than 108 points.
My Best Bet for Blazers vs Nuggets
Nuggets -4
I really wanted to take the OVER for tonight as I think the Blazers will continue their run-and-gun style to try and push the pace but I can’t see the Nuggets losing this one. Denver was one of the best home teams in the league all season and their backcourt of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton have figured out their style to ensure they can keep pace with Lillard and company. I think the Nuggets win this game by five points or more and head to Portland with a 2-0 series lead. The Blazers have also lost their last six games at the Pepsi Center with an average loss margin of 7.8 points per game.
