Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets (Game 2) Predictions, Betting Odds, Picks, Moneyline

- The Trail Blazers gave up a lot inside, but their scoring rate couldn’t be matched.
- The Nuggets don’t want to go down two games in their own building.
- Nikola Jokic is expected to have another big match.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Odds
Team | Point Spread | Total | Money Line |
Portland Trail Blazers | +1.5 (-110) BET NOW | O 227 (-115) BET NOW | +100 BET NOW |
Denver Nuggets | -1.5 (-110) BET NOW | U 227 (-105) BET NOW | -121 BET NOW |
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Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Predictions and Picks
Our Pick |
The Portland Trail Blazers shocked a lot of viewers when they beat the Nuggets in Game 1. With a solid defensive lineup and home court advantage, it’s unlikely for Denver to drop two in a row. |
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How to Watch Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets
Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Information | |
Teams | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets |
Location | Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado |
Time | 10:00 PM EST, May 24th, 2021 |
How to Watch | TNT |
Head-to-Head: Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets
Portland Trail Blazers | Head-to-Head | Denver Nuggets |
Terry Stotts | Head Coach | Michael Malone |
42-30 (6th in West) | Standing | 47-25 (3rd in West) |
W-L-W-W | Form | L-W-W-W |
117.8 (2nd of 30) | Off Rtg | 117.1 (7th of 30) |
116.0 (29th of 30) | Def Rtg | 112.1 (12th of 30) |
98.4 (19th of 30) | Pace | 97.1 (27th of 30) |
Leaders (Per Game) | ||
D. Lillard (28.8) | PPG | N. Jokic (26.4) |
E. Kanter (11.0) | RPG | N. Jokic (10.8) |
D. Lillard (7.5) | APG | N. Jokic (8.3) |
R. Covington (1.4) | SPG | N. Jokic, J. Murray (1.3) |
R. Covington (1.2) | BPG | J. McGee (1.1) |
E. Kanter (.604)/D. Lillard (9.0) | FG%/FGM | N. Jokic (.566)/N. Jokic (10.2) |
A. Simons (.426)/D. Lillard (4.1) | 3P%/3PM | M. Porter (.445)/M. Porter (2.8) |
POR: Attack the Denver Big Men
The Portland Trail Blazers are comically looked at as a one-way side. However, in their last game against the Nuggets, Portland was able to take advantage of their excellent perimeter attack.
The backcourt duo of Lillard and McCollum combined to contribute 55 points, 16 assists, and eight rebounds on 18 of 45 shooting from the field.
Their pace and trickiness in the pick-and-roll is causing issues for the Nuggets, especially with Jokic as the target of attack. With the variation in their scoring and playmaking ability, Portland should continue to run through their star guards.
Trail Blazers Key Player: (G-F) Norman Powell
In his #NBAPlayoffs debut with Portland, Norman Powell finished with 10 PTS, 4 AST & 3 REB! pic.twitter.com/XTfEDl6jDu
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) May 23, 2021
When the Portland Trail Blazers acquired guard Norman Powell from the Toronto Raptors, he was expected to bring consistency and a championship pedigree to the Trail Blazers’ title run.
In Game 1 Powell posted 10 points, four assists, and three rebounds on three of 11 shooting from the field. The 2019 NBA Champion was a team-low -5 in the victory.
As the Nuggets continue to focus their defense on Portland’s star backcourt, Powell needs to be more effective. He is an efficient scorer, so he isn’t expected to struggle two games in a row.
DEN: Take Advantage In The Paint
Despite the Portland Trail Blazers’ solid stable of big men in Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter, the Nuggets were able to counter with Jokic and their group of energetic big men.
Even though they lost in Game 1, the Denver Nuggets combined to outrebound the Trail Blazers 48 to 39. Denver’s starting frontcourt alone accounted for 33 of those 48 team rebounds.
Denver struggled to shoot the ball in Game 1, but they need to maintain their aggression on the glass. With Portland’s scoring ability, the Nuggets can’t afford to allow Portland extra opportunities.
Nuggets Key Player: (C) Nikola Jokic
34 PTS | 16 REB
A valiant effort from Nikola last night.#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/3sD8R4mTjE
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 23, 2021
One of the favorites to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Nikola Jokic continues to do his utmost to lead the Nuggets to victory.
In Game 1, Jokic posted 34 points, 16 rebounds, and uncharacteristically one assist. The Trail Blazers were willing to let Jokic get his points, and not allow many other Nuggets players to find their rhythm.
Jokic will want to force the issue in Game 2 against the Trail Blazers. Expect his assist numbers to improve, as he’s the most talented playmaker on either side of the court.
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Christian Jope
Christian Jope is a writer, social media strategist, and data analyst. A Queen’s University Alumni, Christian is an author and social media strategist with Raptors Cage, while also working closely with MLSE and Canada Basketball through community-driven events.
Email: c[email protected]