After a dominating win in Game 1, the Los Angeles Clippers are now one step closer to reaching the Western Conference Finals. The Clippers smoked the Nuggets 120-97 and the question everyone’s wondering is was Denver just fatigued after a grueling seven-game series or are the Nuggets overmatched? We’ll get a better sense of things on Saturday night.

NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The over is 8-1 in the Nuggets last nine games after a straight up loss. The over is also 6-1 in their last seven games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. In the last nine meetings, the Nuggets are now 2-7 against the spread (ATS) against the Clippers.

The over has been 9-4 in the Clippers past 13 games overall and 4-0 in their last four games when playing on one day of rest. However, the under has been 38-18 in the last 56 matchups between these two teams.

Denver Nuggets

Denver has officially lost their three-game winning streak after losing Game 1. The Nuggets had noticeable fatigue after fighting for their lives to come back from down 3-1 against the Utah Jazz. They were only able to shoot 42 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three-point range as a team. Nikola Jokic was only able to put up 15 points and three rebounds while his counterpart Jamal Murray only scored 12.

This team looked completely gassed out there and they will need to bounce back very quickly if they still want a chance in this series. The Clippers are far too talented as a team for Nuggets to be able to climb back from a 2-0 or even 3-0 series deficit. For Game 2 to go better, they’ll need their offense to kick it into high gear. Denver has scored just 97 and 80 points in their last two games. They had averaged 115.0 points per game in the playoffs before that.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers extended their winning streak to three games after their blowout win in Game 1. Unlike the Nuggets, they had a few days of rest after taking care of the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. They had just one game in their previous eight days before that showdown.

Kawhi Leonard played outstanding basketball in Game 1, finishing with 29 points and was able to get to his spot on almost any possession. But he wasn’t the only one that came ready to play, Paul George scored 19 points and Marcus Morris Sr. added another 18. The Clippers as a team shot 57 percent from the field and 41 percent from three.

This team was also able to get back their defensive spark plug back in Patrick Beverly. This was the first time he was in the lineup since Game 1 of the Mavericks series. He played limited minutes (12) but made the most out of the time he was given. If the Clippers continue to play hard-nosed defense and are able to get consistent scoring out of their starters, then they should have smooth sailing in this series.

Who Will Win Nuggets vs. Clippers?

NUGGETS

Away

112

CLIPPERS

Home

121

Score
Predictions

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