Clippers vs. Nuggets Player Props, ATS Picks: Nuggets Slight Home Favorites

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Tyler Everett

By Tyler Everett

Sports Betting Editor

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The NBA Playoffs start with a bang on Saturday, with four intriguing series getting underway.

The Nuggets (4) host the Clippers (5) at 3:30 p.m. ET in a fascinating matchup. No one played better than Kawhi Leonard and the Clips down the stretch, but can he and James Harden lead LA past three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Denver?

While Jamal Murray missed eight of 12 of games from March 17 through April 9, he returned for the Nuggets' final two regular-season games. Denver enters this series with no other major injury concerns.

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The Clippers also have a clean bill of health. Leonard's status is nevertheless under massive scrutiny, even though he's looked every bit the two-time Finals MVP over the last couple of weeks.

Oddsmakers see this series as a toss-up, with DraftKings listing both teams at -110 to advance and FanDuel giving a slight edge to the Clippers (LAC -118; DEN +100).

Clippers vs. Nuggets Odds: Spread, Total

How to Watch Clippers vs. Nuggets

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN

Best Clippers vs. Nuggets Player Prop Bets

There are several tantalizing options on both teams when it comes to player props.

Jokic has put up absurd numbers all season, Leonard has filled the stat sheet the way only he can in recent weeks and big man Ivica Zubac is coming off a breakout season.

Unfortunately, those players aren't terribly tempting given where their lines are set.

Norman Powell 20+ Points (+146 at FanDuel) -- 0.5 units

How Powell and the supporting cast for the Clippers play in this series could go a long way in determining who advances.

The 31-year-old is coming off by far the best season of his career. He averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game while shooting nearly 42 percent from 3-point land on 7.1 3PA per game.

He's cooled off in recent weeks, though, with just one 20-point game in his last six. Going further back, Powell has only scored 20 points in three of the Clippers' last 12 contests.

He played well in all three regular-season matchups vs. the Nuggets, though, as you can see below:

Oct. 26 (LAC 109, DEN 104): 37 points, 14/21 FG (7/11 3PT)
Dec. 1 (LAC 126, DEN 122): 28 points, 9/17 FG (5/8 3PT)
Dec. 13 (DEN 120, LAC 98): 16 points, 6/14 FG (3/10 3PT)
Jan. 8 (DEN 126, LAC 103): 30 points, 8/17 FG (4/10 3PT)

The caveat is that he posted those numbers without Leonard in the lineup in any of those games. Still, there's no denying Powell has played well over a substantial sample size vs. the Nuggets this year.

It's also fair to assume that while the ball will be in his hands less this afternoon with Leonard in action, the Nuggets will want to force someone other than Harden or Leonard to beat them, which should mean plenty of looks for Powell.

Given that he knocked down three 3-pointers in his worst game against the Nuggets this year, let's also go with Norman Powell 3+ Made Threes (+125 at bet365) -- 0.5 units.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Prediction, Best Bets

This is one of the toughest games of the weekend to predict, as we have not seen how this version of the Clippers matches up against the Nuggets.

It's also unclear what to expect from Denver in a playoff game under interim coach David Adelman, who took the reins after the stunning ouster of Michael Malone a few weeks ago.

With so many questions on both sides, why not take the slight underdogs, the Clippers, who split four regular-season matchups vs. Denver without their best player in the lineup.

I still don't know who to take to win this series, but Leonard and the Clippers at plus-money are hard to resist after they went 18-3 down the stretch, with their only losses since mid-March coming against the Thunder and the Cavaliers.

Clippers vs. Nuggets Best Bets:

Clippers +2.5 (-110 at FD, bet365) -- 1 unit
Clippers ML (+120 at DK) -- 0.5 units

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