Portland Blazers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction, 5/24/2021 NBA Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Portland Blazers vs Denver Nuggets

Date: Monday, May 24, 2021

Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: Portland (+1)

Ball Arena is the site where and the Denver Nuggets (47-25) will play the Portland Blazers (42-30) on Monday in Game 2 of their series. Portland opens this game as 1-point underdogs. The O/U has been set at 228.5.

The Blazers faced off with the Nuggets and walked away with a win by a score of 123-109 in Game 1. Portland finished the game with a 47.3% FG percentage (43 out of 91) and converted 19 out of their 40 shots from beyond the perimeter. From the charity stripe, the Blazers buried 18 of 19 attempts for a percentage of 94.7%. In reference to hauling in boards, they collected 39 with 10 of them being offensive. They also dished out 29 assists in this matchup while forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and earning 3 steals. When it comes to defense, Portland let their opponent shoot 50.5% from the field on 47 out of 93 shooting. Denver dished out 22 dimes and had 3 steals for the contest. In addition, Denver snagged 48 boards (11 offensive, 37 defensive) and had 2 rejections. Denver finished 50.0% from the charity stripe by knocking down 4 of their 8 attempts. They also converted 11 out of their 36 attempts from 3-point land.

Damian Lillard is one guy who was a contributor for the matchup. He racked up 34 points on 10 of 25 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 39:53 minutes and also pulled down 2 boards. Lillard shot 40.0% from the floor and distributed 13 assists. One more player that was a determining factor in this matchup for the Blazers was CJ McCollum. He had 6 rebounds in his 36:29 min played. He finished the game at 40.0% from the field for the game via 8-of-20 (21 points). When all was said and done, McCollum had accumulated 3 assists.

Portland comes into this contest with a record of 42-30 for the year. They average 116.1 points per game (5th in basketball) while shooting 45.3% from the field. The Blazers are shooting 38.5% on shots from beyond the arc (1,132 of 2,939) and 82.3% from the free throw line. As a unit, Portland is collecting 44.5 boards per contest and has 1,531 assists for the year, which ranks 30th in the league in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 11.1 times per game and as a group they commit 18.9 fouls per game. On the defensive end, the Blazers are forcing 12.4 turnovers every game and they draw 19.1 fouls. The Blazers are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 47.3% (892 of 1,374) and they relinquish 45.4 boards per contest as a group. They rank 16th in the league in allowing assists to their opponents with 1,794 conceded for the campaign. They concede 37.2% on shots from downtown and they rank 23rd in the NBA in PPG allowed (114.3).

In their Game 1 loss, the Nuggets recorded 37 defensive boards and 11 offensive boards for a total of 48 for the game. They also coughed up the ball 8 times, while recording 3 steals for the contest. The Blazers earned 14 fouls in the matchup which took the Nuggets to the free throw line for 8 tries. They were able to bury 4 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 50.0%. Concerning shots from beyond the arc, Denver knocked down 11 of 36 tries (30.6%). When the game finished, the Nuggets finished 47 for 93 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.5%. The Nuggets allowed the Blazers to make 43 out of 91 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 47.3% in this game. They finished 47.5% from beyond the arc by connecting on 19 out of 40 and walked away from this one shooting 18 of 19 from the free throw line (94.7%). When it comes to how they rebounded, Denver permitted Portland to pull down 39 in all (10 on the offensive glass).

Nikola Jokic ended up being a factor for the Nuggets in the game. He buried 14 out of 27 in the game for a field goal rate of 51.9%, and accumulated 16 rebounds. Jokic totaled 34 points in his 35:22 mins on the court and had 1 assist in this contest. An additional guy who was a determining factor for Denver was Michael Porter Jr.. He wrapped the game up with no assists in his 37:26 mins played, and he shot 12 of 21 from the floor. Porter ended up shooting 57.1% from the field as well as contributing 25 points and 9 boards.

Denver has a win-loss record of 47-25 on the season. The Nuggets are responsible for committing 19.1 fouls per game and they connect on 80.3% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 26.8 times per game (5th in basketball) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 13.5 times per contest. Denver has accounted for 8,284 points this year (115.1 per contest) and they grab 44.4 boards per contest. When it comes to offense, the Nuggets are hitting on 48.5% from the field, which ranks 4th in the NBA. The Nuggets on defense are ranked 8th in the league in PPG allowed with 110.1. They have conceded 25.9 dimes and 41.2 rebounds per game, which is 24th and 2nd in basketball. The Denver defense concedes 36.3% on shots from beyond the arc (934 of 2,570) and opponents are making 77.3% of their free throw shots. They are forcing 14.1 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 46.9% from the floor (18th in the NBA).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Denver (-1)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here