The Denver Nuggets (47-24) visit the Portland Trail Blazers (41-30) Sunday at Moda Center for each team’s regular-season finale. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Nuggets-Trail Blazers odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.
Denver won the first three games of its four-game road trip to end the season. The Nuggets are 7-3 straight up and 5-5 against the spread over their last 10 games.
A Nuggets’ win would clinch them the 3-seed in the Western Conference, but it would also put them in jeopardy of playing the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
Portland had its five-game winning streak snapped Thursday in a 118-117 heartbreaking loss at the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers can clinch the 6-seed in the West with a win; a loss and a Lakers victory against the New Orleans Pelicans would put the Blazers in the play-in tournament.
Denver won the first two regular-season meetings with Portland, but the Blazers covered the spread in both games.
Nuggets at Trail Blazers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:50 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Nuggets +360 (bet $100 to win $360) | Trail Blazers -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Nuggets +9.5 (-110) | Trail Blazers -9.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 227.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Nuggets at Trail Blazers: Key injuries
Nuggets
- SF Will Barton (hamstring) out
- SG P.J. Dozier (groin) out
Trail Blazers
- Nothing affecting the betting odds.
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Nuggets at Trail Blazers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Trail Blazers 115, Nuggets 111
Money line (ML)
Slight “LEAN” to the NUGGETS (+360) for a quarter unit since this game is priced as if Denver has nothing to play for and is resting players when no official announcement has been made confirming that notion.
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Against the spread (ATS)
Definitely BET the NUGGETS +9.5 (-110) heavier than or instead of Denver’s money line, but wait the final injury reports for both teams are announced before betting this game.
As it stands now, the Nuggets have the starting 5 they’ll run out next week during the playoffs sans a banged-up Barton and the Blazers aren’t 9.5 points better than Denver, even at home.
Also, Nuggets C Nikola Jokic and Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic have a rivalry going after Denver moved on from Nurkic in favor of Jokic in 2017.
I think Jokic’s motivation to not be outplayed by Nurkic and wanting to finish off his probable MVP campaign on a high note means Jokic gives us a strong performance.
Over/Under (O/U)
“LEAN” to the UNDER 227.5 (-110) for a half unit because both teams play at a bottom-10 pace, Portland’s offense gets stuck in iso-ball far too often and Denver’s offense can look pretty ugly if outside shooters aren’t helping Jokic out.
Also, the “sharp” side of the market is backing the Under and oddsmakers have responded by dropping the total from the 230.5-point opener.
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