Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets, 5/22/21 NBA Playoffs Predictions

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Prediction

The Trail Blazers have owned the Nuggets at the betting window in previous meetings between the two teams but Portland is an underdog in Denver at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Will the Blazers take Game 1 of this NBA Conference Quarterfinals matchup?

Game Snapshot

511 Portland Trail Blazers (+1) at 512 Denver Nuggets (-1); o/u 227.5

10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 22, 2021

Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Portland Trail Blazers DFS Notes

Damian Lillard guided the Trail Blazers to a 132-116 win over the Nuggets on Sunday with a 22-point, 10-assist double-double. Lillard finished 7-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-3 at the stripe, and he added three rebounds, five triples and four turnovers while he was out there, but most importantly, Portland got the win. They've now secured their spot as the No. 6 seed out West, meaning they have avoided the play-in tournament and will be matching up with Denver in Round 1. C.J. McCollum hit 9-of-17 shots for a team-high 24 points in the win, to go with two rebounds, five assists, five triples, one steal and three turnovers in 31 minutes.

Denver Nuggets DFS Notes

Nikola Jokic busted loose for 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one turnover in just 17 minutes of floor time during Sunday's loss to the Trail Blazers. Mike Malone has taken it easy on his MVP candidate for the final two games of the season, and while Denver dropped this one to Portland, they will still remain the No. 3 seed because the Clippers lost to the Thunder tonight. None of the Nuggets' main starters played more than 17 minutes tonight, but they'll all be back to their usual workload when they meet Portland in Round 1.

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Playoffs Prediction

The Trail Blazers are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games versus the Nuggets, are 4-1 against the number in their last five games overall and are 7-1 at the betting window in their last eight road games. On the other side, the Nuggets are 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games playing on three or more days of rest and are 1-4 at the betting window in their last five games versus an opponent with a winning record.

NBA PLAYOFFS PREDICTION: PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS +1