The Portland Trail Blazers collide with the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.
Wednesday, May 1 at 9:00 PM ET
Pepsi Center
Coverage: TNT
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bookmaker
- Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets (-3.5 at -115)
- Over/Under: 219 at -110
The Nuggets received major production from their stars Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Paul Millsap and their bench players also stepped up in their 121-113 home win in Game 1 of their best-of-seven playoff series against the Trail Blazers last Monday.
Jokic exploded for 37 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Murray had 23 points, eight assists and two steals and Millsap finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists. The point guard matchup between Jamal Murray and Damian Lillard will be fun to watch throughout this series.
Murray was efficient in Game 1, shooting 8-for-15 from the field and 3-for-6 from 3-point range while Lillard had a game-high 39 points, six assists and three rebounds on 12 of 21 shooting and just 4 of 12 from downtown. The star point guard had six of Portland’s 18 turnovers in the game and taking better care of the ball is a must for them tonight.
Nikola Jokic sets the tone for the Nuggets in Game 1 win with 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Trail Blazers.
🎥https://t.co/fBlzboleKU
Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap combined for 56 points and the Trail Blazers had a hard time guarding them and two of their starters on the wings, Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless combined for just four points.
If the Trail Blazers want to win this game they need Aminu and Harkless to be efficient on both ends of the court. Former Trail Blazer Mason Plumlee was also productive for the Nuggets, scoring six points to go along with six rebounds and five steals while Zach Collins and Meyers Leonard combined for just seven points and six rebounds.
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Trends and Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers are:
- 25-10 ATS in their last 35 games when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game
- 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 games following an ATS loss
- 21-9 ATS in their last 30 games playing with one day of rest
- 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss
The Denver Nuggets are:
- 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games playing with one day of rest
- 2-5 ATS in their last seven games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game
- 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win
- 2-6 ATS in their last eight Wednesday games
Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood can be difference-makers in this series and the Trail Blazers need them to replicate their Game 1 performances tonight. Kanter finished with 26 points and seven rebounds, shooting 11-for-14 from the field in 33 minutes, providing an inside presence while battling a shoulder injury, going up against Nikola Jokic.
Consistent play from Kanter and Rodney Hood, who had 17 points in 18 minutes off the bench, can help the Trail Blazers even this series. Hood made three of his four 3-point attempts but the rest of the Portland reserves combined for just 11 points and CJ McCollum had a quiet night with 16 points on 7-for-17 from the field, which also didn’t help.
CJ McCollum started hot, but ended cold in Game 1 against the Nuggets. Now McCollum and the Blazers look to bounce back Wednesday.
McCollum averaged 24.4 points on 45.6 percent shooting and 43.6 percent from 3-point range in 36.6 minutes over the five games against the Thunder in the first round and he has to play better in Game 2.
Pick: Trail Blazers +3.5
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Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Game 2 Prediction: Betting Odds, Line & Pick