The 6-seed Portland Trail Blazers and 3-seed Denver Nuggets play Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.
The Trail Blazers have the confidence of topping the Nuggets in the regular-season finale on Sunday, 132-116. They cashed as 8.5-point favorites in that one as the Over connected.
Portland has won six of the final seven, and 10 of the final 12 games while covering each of the previous three outings. They’re also 9-3 against the spread across the final 12 contests.
The loss to the Blazers in the finale snapped a three-game win streak. They’re 4-4 SU/3-5 ATS across the final eight games of the regular season.
Denver won two of the three meetings with Portland, splitting the two meetings in Rip City. They won the second meeting on April 21 by a 106-105 score as the Under cashed.
Trail Blazers at Nuggets: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Trail Blazers -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Nuggets -115 (bet $115 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Trail Blazers +1 (-110) | Nuggets -1 (-110)
- Over/Under: 227.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Trail Blazers at Nuggets: Key injuries
Trail Blazers
- PF Zach Collins (ankle) out
Nuggets
- SG Will Barton (hamstring) out
- SG PJ Dozier (groin) out
- SG Jamal Murray (knee) out
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Trail Blazers at Nuggets: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Nuggets 114, Trail Blazers 110
Money line (ML)
The NUGGETS (-115) won two of the three regular-season meetings, and while the Trail Blazers (-105) have been on fire to close the season, this game is in the Mile High City.
Denver won 25 of its 36 games on their home court, and they’ll scratch out a close one in this series opener.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The NUGGETS -1 (-110) will cost you slightly less than playing the money line, and really the bets are interchangeable.
There is no way for a tie in basketball, so laying the one point in basically the same bet as playing the money line. You can push if Denver wins Game 1 by just one point, that’s about the only difference.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 227.5 (-110) is the lean here. The Under has hit in five of the past seven for the Blazers on the road against teams with a winning home record.
The Under is also 4-1 in the previous five for the Nuggets as a favorite. I’d go lightly here, as both of these teams can score plenty. However, the Under was 2-1 in the three regular-season meetings, too.
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