Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers NBA Picks, Odds, Predictions 6/3/2021

The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers meet Thursday in game six of the NBA West Playoffs at the Moda Center. 

The Denver Nuggets look for a win to advance to the second round for a third straight season. The Denver Nuggets are averaging 119.8 points on 46.4 percent shooting and allowing 120.4 points on 47 percent shooting. Nikola Jokic is averaging 32.4 points and 11 rebounds while Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 17.4 points and seven rebounds. Monte Morris is the third double-digit scorer and Aaron Gordon is grabbing 6.4 rebounds. The Denver Nuggets are shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and 79.8 percent from the free throw line. The Denver Nuggets are allowing 41.2 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.4 rebounds per game.

The Portland Trail Blazers need a win to save their season and force a game seven on Saturday. The Portland Trail Blazers are averaging 120.4 points on 47 percent shooting and allowing 119.8 points on 46.4 percent shooting. Damian Lillard is averaging 35.6 points and 9.6 assists while CJ McCollum is averaging 20.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. Norman Powell is the third double-digit scorer and Jusuf Nurkic is grabbing 11 rebounds. The Portland Trail Blazers are shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc and 84.2 percent from the free throw line. The Portland Trail Blazers are allowing 40 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 42.6 rebounds per game.

The Nuggets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog and 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games. The Trail Blazers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The over is 5-1 in Nuggets last 6 overall. The over is 5-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 overall. The Nuggets are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Portland and 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings.

Every game in this series has been completely different, so it’s hard to get a feel for consistency. What we do know is Lillard played out of his mind in game four and his teammates have to be bothered they let him down. If a game four loss doesn’t motivate other players for the Trail Blazers to step up, nothing will. The last time these clubs met at the Moda Center, the Trail Blazers blew the doors off the Nuggets. This feels like it’s going seven. Give me the Trail Blazers and the reasonable chalk.