Phoenix vs Denver: The first game of the series will be a resultant one

With a six-game winning streak over the reigning champions from the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix has emerged as the top favorite in the West. However, Denver also proved to be a very strong team in their first-round series against Portland. Will the Suns manage to open the confrontation with the Nuggets with a win? Let's pick a few bets at once.

The Lakers were never able to solve the problem of Anthony Davis' injury. The Suns also had Chris Paul out of action, but even the leader's limited minutes were enough to outplay a bleeding opponent. 4-2, a solid Phoenix success. Well, the Suns now appear to be the odds-on favorite in the West.

Whatever the case may be, a lot will still depend on Chris Paul. Having a legendary point guard on the floor transforms Devin Booker and everyone else. Will the leader be healthy enough to start the series against Denver? That's likely the key question.

The rebuilding of the Nuggets has led to the following - Michael Malone's team now looks completely toothless in their own half, but has plenty of options on offense. And that's without the injured Murray and Barton. In addition to Nikola Jokic, who has 33.0 points and 4.5 assists, we should also highlight Monte Morris coming off the bench, who is scoring more than 15 points; as well as the trio of starters. Rivers, Porter and Gordon, all scoring over 40 points apiece.

In addition to the game moments themselves, we also have to talk about the genetic code of the playoffs, which seems to have finally infiltrated the franchise's body. It would seem that with roster problems, a bench full of youngsters, and injuries to its leaders, Denver simply should not pass Portland. But in the end, the team from Colorado sent Damian Lillard on leave, and even in 6 games. Moreover, in Game 6 on the road Denver scored -14, which was still lit up on the scoreboard in the middle of the 3rd quarter. Character.

It is hard to say who will be stronger at the end of the first match of the series - the opponents are certainly worthy of each other. Therefore, for the first meeting of the confrontation we will choose neutral bets from the total category. Namely, let's pay attention to the «top». As it turns out, Jamal Murray's absence is not an obstacle for the Nuggets in terms of scoring. And the feeling is that it's not just Portland's toothless defense. The prediction is up.

• Total over 219.5 at odds of about 1.90;
• Denver's individual total is greater than 108.5 with an index around 2.0;
• Denver To Win at odds of about 2.75.