Suns vs. Nuggets Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

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The NBA Western Conference Semi-Finals kicks things off on Saturday night with a compelling Game 1 showdown between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. Coverage begins from Ball Arena in Denver at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

PHOENIX SUNS vs. DENVER NUGGETS BETTING PREDICTION

The Suns earned a Top 2 seed in the conference in back-to-back campaigns prior to finishing 4th in the West with a record of 45-37 this season, however, don’t be alarmed by their relatively modest regular season tally, this Phoenix’ team is far more dangerous than the ones that we’ve seen in years past, which is destined to become very apparent in the near future.

In years past, the depth of this Suns’ squad allowed them to string together impressive win streaks and magnificent regular season campaigns; however, they’ve become notorious for coming up short in the playoffs against top shelf contenders, which is why, ultimately, they elected to go out and acquire a two-time Finals’ MVP in Kevin Durant at the trade deadline.

Durant went down with an injury soon after the acquisition, though, keeping him sidelined until the final homestretch of the regular season; however, in the 13 total contests that he’s participated in since arriving in Phoenix, including the opening round of the playoffs, the Suns have posted a near perfect 12-1 record alongside an offensive rating of 122 ORtg, which would pace the entire league by a comfortable margin if they managed to maintain that same level of efficiency; and don’t forget, Phoenix also ranks Top 10 in defensive rating as well (113 DRtg).

While on the other hand, the Nuggets appeared to have their sights set on a sweep in the early goings of their first round playoff matchup against Minnesota, as Denver immediately jumped out to a commanding three-game lead, and went to halftime of Game 4 leading as well; however, the hometown crowd in Minneapolis certainly made their presence felt down the stretch, as the T-Wolves rallied to a come-from-behind victory in order to dodge the sweep before inevitably getting bounced in Game 5.

There’s no denying the fact that Denver dominates its homefloor. The Nuggets posted an impressive record of 34-7 at Ball Arena during the regular season, the best record in the entire league in that department, and they won all three of their home games in the first round of the playoffs, with two of those wins coming by a comfortable margin of 9+ points. 

However, regardless of game location, this is still a Denver’ team that ranked just 5th in defensive rating during the regular season (114 DRtg), which has a lot to do with Nikola Jokic's inability to protect the rim down low, and all things considered, homecourt advantage probably won’t move the needle enough to slow down an incredibly well-balanced Suns’ squad that ranks Top 5 in offense and Top 10 in defense with KD in the lineup. Take the road underdogs in Game 1.

Score Prediction: Suns 117, Nuggets 112
Best Bet: Suns ML (+120)

Take PHX!

BET NOW!

PHOENIX SUNS vs. DENVER NUGGETS BETTING ODDS

PHOENIX SUNS vs. DENVER NUGGETS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Saturday, April 29, 2023
Venue: Ball Arena
Location: Denver, Colorado
TV-Time: TNT, 8:30 p.m. ET
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PHOENIX SUNS vs. DENVER NUGGETS BETTING STATS

Phoenix Suns
SU: 49-38
ATS: 45-41-1
O/U: 46-41
PPG:
OPPG:

Denver Nuggets
SU: 57-30
ATS: 48-39
O/U: 41-46
PPG: 115.8
OPPG: 112.5

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

PHOENIX SUNS vs. DENVER NUGGETS BETTING TRENDS

• The total has gone OVER in six of Phoenix's last eight games.
• The Suns are 4-1 SU in their last five games.
• The Suns are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games against Denver.
• The Nuggets are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Denver's last 18 games.
• The Nuggets are 5-1 SU in their last six games.
• The total has gone OVER in four of Denver's last six games against Phoenix.
• The Nuggets are 5-0 SU in their last five home games.
• The total has gone OVER in nine of Phoenix's last 11 road games.
• The Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against Denver.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson