A pair of Northwest Division rivals will collide in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The 6-seed Portland Trail Blazers will battle the 3-seed Denver Nuggets for the right to continue on in pursuit of a championship. Although the Nuggets claimed two of the three head-to-head meetings between the teams this season, the Blazers are actually the favored team on the series lines ahead of Saturday’s Game 1 matchup. This NBA betting preview for the Trail Blazers vs Nuggets NBA Playoffs matchup will provide game info, betting trends, odds and a prediction for Game 1 of this series.
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Game Info
NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals NBA Playoffs Game 1
Portland Trail Blazers (42-30, 22-14 Away) vs. Denver Nuggets (47-25, 25-11 Home)
Date: Saturday, May 22, 2021
Start Time: 10:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena — Denver, CO
Coverage: ESPN
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 jump directly into the bracket as the 6-seed. Portland dealt with injuries left and right this season, but the team is pretty much at full strength 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 many in the NBA betting community expect. 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 defensively.
While Portland is healthy entering the NBA playoffs, the Nuggets are a completely different story. A season-ending knee injury to Jamal Murray was followed by a significant hamstring injury to Will Barton. The loss of two of the team’s best players is a big reason why the NBA betting odds to win this First Round series actually favor the Blazers. Luckily, Nikola Jokic saved some of his best performances for when Denver needed them most down the stretch. The Joker 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.
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets NBA Betting Odds
Moneyline: POR: (-105) | DEN: (-115)
Puck Line: POR: +1 (-110) | DEN: -1 (-110)
Total: 226.5 — Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)
RELATED | Printable 2021 NBA Playoffs Bracket and Schedule
Trail Blazers vs Nuggets Betting Trends
- Trail Blazers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.
- 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
This NBA prediction uses NumberFire’s probability model. They give Denver a 71.5% chance to win Game 1 of this NBA Playoffs matchup.
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