Blazers fight for playoff seeding against surging Nuggets. See key matchups and betting odds for this crucial Western Conference clash.
The Portland Trail Blazers will continue their road trip on Monday night with a matchup against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Portland enters this game at 40-38 and is fighting for play-in positioning, while Denver has won eight straight and is coming off a massive win over the San Antonio Spurs that helped keep it in the mix for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. With the No. 7 seed effectively out of reach for Portland, this game carries major weight as the Blazers continue battling the LA Clippers for the No. 8 spot.
How to Watch
- Date: April 6
- Time (PT): 6:00 PM
- TV: Rip City Television Network or BlazerVision
- Location: Ball Arena | Denver, CO
Game Outlook
This is another huge game for the Trail Blazers as they continue pushing for the best possible play-in position. Portland is officially clear of the No. 10 seed after Sunday night’s results, so the focus now is squarely on the race with the Clippers for the No. 8 and No. 9 spots. That difference is enormous, given the No. 8 seed only has to win one play-in game to advance, while the No. 9 seed would need two.
The challenge here is obvious. Denver has won eight straight games, is 25-13 at home, and is coming off what may have been one of its biggest wins of the season in terms of momentum and confidence. The Nuggets have dealt with injuries throughout the year, but as long as Nikola Jokic is on the floor, they remain one of the toughest teams in the league to deal with. He is the engine of everything they do, and slowing him down will have to be a full-team effort from Portland.
Donovan Clingan will take on a big part of that challenge, but this is not a one-man assignment against the best player in the world. The Blazers have played strong basketball lately themselves, winning three straight and going 8-2 in their last 10, so they should come in with confidence. Still, this is a difficult road test against one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Betting Odds
- Spread: Trail Blazers +8.5 (-108)
- Moneyline: Trail Blazers +300
- Over/Under: 240.5
Following this contest, the Trail Blazers will continue their road trip on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. That will be another tough challenge as Portland looks to keep building momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season.