Nuggets vs. Blazers Prediction
Can the Denver Nuggets finish off the Portland Trail Blazers when these two meet up tonight at 10:30PM ET in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals?
515 Denver Nuggets vs. 516 Portland Trail Blazers
Thursday, May 9, 2019
10:30PM ET – Moda Center
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers, the Blazers are the slight favorite at home tonight, as they are getting odds of -3.5 points against the Nuggets. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 215.5 points. The public betting for the contest has 51 percent going on the Blazers as the home favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Nuggets take 3-2 lead
Denver took control of the series on Tuesday with a 124-98 win at home over Portland. The Nuggets have covered in four of the five games in the series. Denver is 61-33 overall, 22-24 on the road, 49-45 against the spread and 51-42-1 with the under.
The Nuggets shot nearly 50 percent in Game 5, going 44 of 89 from the field. They were just 8 of 24 from the arc, but 28 of 31 from the charity stripe. Nikola Jokic continued his tremendous series, putting up 25 points with 19 rebounds and six assists. Paul Millsap stepped up, scoring 24 points with eight rebounds. Jamal Murray added 19 points with nine assists.
Blazers get routed
Portland suffered a second straight loss in the series on Tuesday, as they have struggled defensively lately. They are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six games. Portland is 59-33 on the season, 36-10 at home, 49-42-1 against the spread and 49-41-2 with the over.
The Blazers couldn’t find their offense at all in Game 5, going just 36 of 98 from the floor, 10 of 37 from the arc and 16 of 30 from the charity stripe. Damian Lillard did his part, scoring 22 points with six rebounds, but C.J. McCollum had only 12 points and the other three starters combined for only 15 points.
NBA Betting Trends
Denver
The Nuggets are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 conference semifinals games and 22-8-1 ATS in their last 31 against Northwest Division opponents.
Portland
The Blazers are 1-5 against the spread in their last six conference games and 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight home games against a team with a losing road record.
Prediction:
It’s easy to look at the Blazers and say they need their role players to step up, but this series can be pretty easily defined by one stat and that is free throws. In Game 5 alone, Denver had a 28-16 edge in FT’s made. They also had a 25-22 edge in Game 4. In the two games the Blazers won, they were even or had the edge over Denver. The Nuggets have shown an ability for their players to get to the line more often and hit the shots. Portland doesn’t have a lot of reliable players at the stripe. With these games typically being close, those single points add up.
NBA Prediction: Denver Nuggets +3.5