The Denver Nuggets have used physicality and clutch scoring from unlikely sources to take a series lead against the Portland Trail Blazers – and they’ll almost certainly need more of both if they hope to return to Colorado with a chance to advance to Round 2. The Nuggets are slight underdogs for Saturday afternoon’s Game 4 encounter with a Portland Trail Blazers team that has struggled mightily on defence to see an early series lead fade away.

Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers NBA Playoff Odds

The Trail Blazers come in as four-point favourites – the largest spread for either team so far in the series. Portland is an impressive 10-5 ATS in its previous 15 games, and has the backing of 56 percent of Sports Interaction customers. But the Nuggets are surging, having covered four of their past six games while going 7-3 SU in their last 10 visits to Portland. The Blazers are 39-36 ATS on the season, while the Nuggets are the reverse of that at 36-39 ATS.

The total is set at 227.5, and that’s too low for the majority of Sports Interaction bettors, with 90 percent siding with the Over at -110. The Nuggets have converted the Over in four straight games (including all three in this first-round series) and seven of their previous nine overall, moving to 42-32-1 O/U for the season. The teams have also seen the Over cash in seven of their last nine encounters at Moda Center.

Denver Nuggets

With Nikola Jokic only capable of doing so much and Jamal Murray out for the season with an Achilles injury, the Nuggets need their role players to step up if they have designs on a first NBA title. And in Game 3, it was Austin Rivers’ turn to own the spotlight. The reserve guard knocked down five 3-pointers en route to a 21-point performance, critically complimenting Jokic’s 36-point eruption and helping the Nuggets to reclaim home-court advantage.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers might not be confused for the 1990s Detroit Pistons, but it wouldn’t hurt for them to play a little defence. They were completely overwhelmed from beyond the arc in Game 3, allowing the Nuggets to connect on 20 of their 38 attempts from 3-point territory. Portland has permitted Denver to shoot 42.2 percent from long range through the first three games, the second-highest success rate of any team in the postseason.

NBA Playoff Prediction: Who Will Win Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers?

NUGGETS

Away

119

TRAIL BLAZERS

Home

121

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Predictions

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