Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets will face each other in the NBA playoffs first-round series on Saturday evening. The hosts have entered a series of victories that they want to extend in the post-season. The away side has been running hot and cold lately, and they look forward to stabilizing their form.
Golden State railed the level of performance at the right moment, and they enter this tie full of confidence. The home side returns to its court after two straight outings that closed the regular season for them. On the other hand, Denver has struggled lately, and they’ve been a hit or miss in the past few weeks. Nevertheless, they want to bounce back and secure a positive result in the opening game of the series.
Golden State Warriors – Can they extend their streak?
The Warriors have been pretty confident lately after wrapping up the regular season with five straight wins. They finished 3rd in the West Conference with a 53-29 record and managed to snatch a home-court advantage in this tie. Golden State goes to this match after two straight outings, and in the latest one, they were more successful than the New Orleans Pelicans. Klay Thompson led them to a 128-107 success by scoring 41 points, followed by three rebounds and a pair of assists. The Warriors had an excellent 60.5 field goal percentage, which was a decisive factor in their victory. Stephen Curry has led the Warriors during the regular season with 25.5 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per match on average.
Klay Thompson averages 20.4 pts, 3.9 rebs, and 2.8 assists, while Jordan Poole contributes with 18.5 points, four assists, and 3.4 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins is another player with a double-digit number of points on average, while Kevon Looney tops the rebs charts with 7.3 per game. On the other hand, Golden State still needs to cope without its most productive player, as he’s still out injured. James Wiseman is also unavailable.
Expected Line-Up: Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney
with best odds
Denver Nuggets – Will they stabilize their game?
The Nuggets haven’t been consistent at the end of the regular season campaign, but they managed to secure a top-six finish in the Western Conference. They lost three times on the previous five occasions, but a 48-34 record was enough for snatching the 6th spot. Although the visitors have been struggling with their recent form, they have been very good on the road, celebrating three times in a row. However, Denver heads to this trip after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 146-141 at home. Nevertheless, the Nuggets rested their best players since they had already locked the 6th position.
Nikola Jokic has been among the most dominant NBA players in the regular season, with 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The Serbian international tops the most important team’s charts again. Aaron Gordon contributes with 15 pts and 5.9 rebs, while Will Barton produces 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. Monte Morris averages 12.6 points per game, while two other players contribute with 10+ pts per match. Besides Facundo Campazzo and Michael Porter Jr., who are out of the contest, all other players should be ready to make appearances.
Expected Line-Up: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, Nikola Jokic
Expert Pick #1 – Denver Nuggets +6.5 @-110
Although the Warriors have been excellent lately, they will open the series without Stephen Curry. The Nuggets might take advantage of that for another success against the Warriors. Since the margin is set a bit higher, I’ll back Denver ATS as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 223 @-110
The Over cashed pretty frequently for both teams since four of the five Nuggets’ games went over the margin. I expect to see another efficient match that should go over a 223 margin. Give me the Over as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Denver Nuggets Over 108.5 @-120
Consequently, I believe the Nuggets can be very competitive in this game, and it should be realistic for them to score more than 108 points. Nikola Jokic should lead them in the offense again, and I’ll take this one as the third pick at slightly lower odds than the first two.
