Venue: Ball Arena.
Game 5. The score in the series is 2-2.
The series between Denver and Portland may well extend into Game 7. The opponents are worthy of each other and approach the 5th game in Colorado with a 2-2 score. It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to win 2 games in a row here. But who will be able to gain a strategic advantage ahead of the end of the clash? Let’s pick a few bets at once.
Denver even without half of the squad are dangerous
The Nuggets entered the current playoffs with a weakened roster. However, without Jamal Murray and Will Barton, they are holding their own so far. 2-2 by Game 5, which will also be played at home against Portland, is a good result.
Denver’s main problem is a limited set of those who should be scoring points. Nikola Jokic is averaging 31.0 per game. Michael Porter has 15.8, and the rest have less than 12. Aaron Gordon has 12, Austin Rivers - 11, just over 10 per game for Campazzo and Monte Morris. Nikola Jokic’s limited offensive potential is also evident in the number of assists. The Serbian averaged just 3.0 assists per 4 games in the playoffs, compared to 8.3 in the regular season.
Portland will be ruined by defense
It would seem that the Trail Blazers should just trash the Nuggets, given all the problems Michael Malone’s team has, but Terry Stotts’ team has proven to be just as problematic. The phenomenal level of Damien Lillard on offence, who is also well supported by CJ McCollum, is offset by absolutely no success on defence. The series against Denver shows that it was no accident that Portland finished the regular season in the top 3 of the defence’s efficiency rating.
There are some encouraging things to note. First of all, the Blazers are doing quite well against Jokic in terms of assists. The Serbian’s decrease in assists is not only a result of the Nuggets’ limited roster but also a credit to Jusuf Nurkic and other Portland big men.
Expert Betting Tips
Playing in Colorado is always tough. That’s true, and a big part of the reason why the Denver Nuggets, an unremarkable team, are doing so well. Another reason is Nikola Jokic. The Serb is unique, he shows great basketball and can even bring the franchise wins almost single-handedly. We predict that Denver will take the lead in the series. Portland will score but will miss again a little bit more.
Betting options:
- Denver to win the match with odds of around 2.08;
- Both halves Over 112.5 for 3.60;
- Denver to win and Total Over 226.5 for around 3.50.