Nuggets vs. Suns Odds, Game 1 Preview, Picks, & Prediction
Nuggets vs. Suns Odds
| Nuggets Odds | +5 |
| Suns Odds | -5 |
| Moneyline | +170/-208 |
| Over/Under | 220.5 |
| To Win Series | +155/-189 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Where | Phoenix Suns Arena (Phoenix, AZ) |
| TV | TNT |
| Odds accurate as of Monday at BetMGM | |
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The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns both took down west coast teams in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs and will now clash with each other in the Western Conference Semifinals.
With the Suns controlling home-court and favored by five points in Game 1, oddsmakers clearly have a favorite. Can the Nuggets and the presumptive MVP, Nikola Jokic, pull off the upset or will Chris Paul and Devin Booker be too much for Denver to handle sans Jamal Murray?
Suns Dominant in Phoenix
The Suns are flaming hot after sending the defending champs packing early. LeBron James couldn’t handle the Suns’ talented roster by himself, as it took only six games for Phoenix to punch their ticket to Round 2. Paul’s arrival in Phoenix, along with the ascension of Devin Booker, delivered the city their first playoff series victory in 11 years! The question is, can they keep it going?
Sportsbooks say yes. Their odds reflect their regular-season prowess, which helped them earn the second-best record in the NBA. During the season, the Suns were one of two teams to have a top-four ranked offensive and defensive rating while playing at home. The city is amped and Phoenix Suns Arena has been one of the most difficult places to play all year. They—the players and fans—haven’t skipped a beat as they transition to playoff basketball.
Nuggets Adjust to Injuries
The Nuggets beat the Trail Blazers despite missing Jamal Murray, who tore his ACL in April. P.J. Dozier and Will Barton have also suffered injuries, but the Nuggets continue to prevail.
How do the Nuggets do it without two of their top guards? Through a three-headed monster made up of Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and “(player-popup #michael-porter-jr)Michael Porter Jr
Porter averaged 18.8 points against Portland, while Gordon added 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. Jokic unsurprisingly led the Nuggets with 33 points and 10.5 rebounds while adding 4.5 assists.
Jokic was a nightmare for the Suns, averaging close to triple-double during their regular season meetings.
Suns-Nuggets Matchup Preview & Picks
Suns head coach and 2021 NBA Coach of the Year Monte Williams will task Deandre Ayton with guarding Jokic. Ayton is a formidable defensive presence, but asking anyone to slow down the Joker is a joke of a request. During their three regular season games, the Nugget outscored the Suns by 50 points inside the paint (158 to 108). On the other hand, the Suns outscored the Nuggets outside the paint by nearly as many points (188 to 139).
In those games, two went into overtime, and the road team won all three times.
The public is betting heavily on the Suns, which is why we’ve seen this spread move to -5 after opening -4. I’m fading the public and taking the points with the soon-to-be NBA MVP. If I lose, well, the joke is on me.
Game 2 Pick: Nuggets +5
Image Credit: Imagn