Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers aim to extend the series against the Denver Nuggets to a Game 7. Will the Blazers accomplish that mission this Thursday? Or will the Nuggets win and advance to the second round? Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers NBA Playoffs Round 1 Game 6 on June 3, 2021
Where: Moda Center, Portland
When: Thursday, June 3, 2021, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Denver Nuggets (+5) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (-5) – view all 2020-21 NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Betting on the Denver Nuggets (+5)
Regular Season Record: 47-25
The Nuggets weathered Damian Lillard’s explosion in Game 5, as they escaped with a 147-140 double-overtime win. Nikola Jokic finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr. had 26 points. Porter also scored the biggest basket of the game, draining a huge 3-pointer in the clutch that practically sealed the win for Denver. The Nuggets are just having their way against Portland’s defense in the first round. They are shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 39.8% percent from behind the arc in the series. Jokic is eating his defenders alive. Jusuf Nurkic struggled with foul trouble in Game 5, while Enes Kanter was like a wet cardboard on defense. What’s making it harder for the Blazers to contain Jokic is his passing ability and that other Nuggets are stepping up offensively. Porter Jr. is averaging 23.0 points on 57.4 percent shooting in the series. Monte Morris is fresh off a 28-point performance off the bench. This team is clicking at the right time.
The Nuggets are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous outing.
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers (-5)
Regular Season Record: 42-30
Damian Lillard was a man possessed in Game 5. He unloaded a total of 55 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the field. He also went 12 of 17 from long distance and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. If only he got more support from his teammates… CJ McCollum finished with 18 points but it took him 22 shots to get there. Norman Powell had 13 points on a salty 5-of-13 shooting in Game 5. The Blazers’ bench was also anemic with a putrid output of 22 points, while Denver’s second unit had 48. Still, Lillard showed that he alone can carry this team. If it would take him to score a ton again so that the Blazers could at least threaten Denver, then his team can count on him to do that. This time, though, he is hoping for much better support from his teammates, even if that support comes in the form of fewer turnovers and smarter decision-making on both ends of the court.
The Blazers are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games after just a day of rest.
Writer’s Prediction
The Nuggets win, 112-108.
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