The Denver Nuggets look to open a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Phoenix Suns when the two teams play Game 2 in Denver on Monday night. The top-seeded Nuggets won the series opener on Saturday night, improving to 3-0 at home in this season’s playoffs.
Phoenix had a four-game winning streak snapped with its Game 1 loss but is hoping to bounce back with a victory to claim homecourt advantage in this series. Let’s take a closer look at this game and the NBA odds today and make some Suns vs Nuggets picks for you to wager on.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Odds
As you’re making your NBA picks today, you can get the homestanding Nuggets giving 4½ points on a point-spread bet. You’ll get -110 odds no matter which team you choose on that wager.
If you prefer to pick NBA matchups straight-up, you can take Denver and get -185 odds, or Phoenix with +160 odds. The over/under has been set at 227½ points, with -110 odds on either side of that wager.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Information
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Monday, May 1, 2023, 10 pm ET
TNT
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Analysis
Phoenix Suns Performance Recap and Analysis
The downfall of the Phoenix Suns game in the series opener was their defense, which allowed 125 points in an 18-point loss. During the regular season, Phoenix was sixth in NBA team stats in regards to points allowed at 111.6 points per game, but it will have to improve in Game 2.
Offensively, the Suns weren’t at their best either, though they did shoot 51.2% from the floor. Kevin Durant (29 points) and Devin Booker (27) had 56 of the team’s 107 points, but the two couldn’t carry the entire load.
Key Injuries
The Suns don’t have any major injuries, though it will be a question how well veteran guard Chris Paul can do as the NBA schedule for the postseason ramps up.
Phoenix will have some time off after Game 2 before the two teams play Game 3 on Friday night, but the 37-year-old has been known to run out of gas in the postseason before, and he had just five assists and 11 points in Game 1.
Betting Trends to Know
- Phoenix is 43-38 against the spread this season.
- The Suns are 4-11 when set as an underdog by +135 or more this season.
- Phoenix games have averaged 225.2 points this season, under the over/under set for this game.
Denver Nuggets Performance Recap and Analysis
The Nuggets’ odds for winning the NBA title have been high since they are the top seed in the West, but having guard Jamal Murray playing at his best again certainly raises their chances. Murray had 34 points in Denver’s Game 1 win, overshadowing his MVP finalist teammate Nikola Jokic.
Murray seems to be back to the form that helped Denver reach the 2020 Western Conference finals, and he makes it a threat to reach the NBA Finals for the first time. Of course, having Jokic, who finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1 and ranked among the leaders in NBA player stats in both categories in the regular season, helps too.
Key Injuries
Like the Suns, the Nuggets are quite healthy, though their rotation is deeper than Phoenix’s, which will help with the grind of the NBA playoffs schedule.
Betting Trends to Know
- Denver has won 70.5% of the games in which it was favored this season.
- The Nuggets are 45-37-0 ATS in 2022-23.
- The over is 9-2-1 in the last 12 games following a straight-up win by Denver.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Betting Picks
Moneyline: It’s hard to go against the home team when making your Suns vs Nuggets picks. Denver is on a roll, and playing at the high altitude isn’t good for the Suns in this matchup.
Over/Under: Both teams can score at a high volume, so this is one of those NBA matchups where you should always count on the over hitting.
Spread: Phoenix should keep this one closer than Game 1, but when making your Suns vs Nuggets picks, take Denver to cover the spread again.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Score Prediction
NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets 120, Phoenix Suns 114
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