Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 04/19/25

The NBA playoffs are nearly here and one of the best series of the opening round should come in the Western Conference between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets. These are teams that are trending in completely opposite directions, as the Clippers have been the top net rating team in the association over the past 6 weeks, thanks to the all-world play from Kawhi Leonard and James Harden down the stretch, along with a number of key contributions from role players across the roster on both sides of the ball. On the other side, despite getting one of the greatest offensive seasons in league history from Nikola Jokic, Denver is certainly not as good as it was a season ago, to say nothing of the 2023 team that won the title. This should be an evenly-matched affair, with plenty of momentum swings and lead changes between the teams. And no game should illustrate the long and compelling series we have ahead of us than a Game 1 in Denver where both teams should hit the ground running offensively.

When digging into the matchups in this opening game, I find myself straying away from backing a side and gravitating toward a high-scoring affair in the altitude of Denver. Given that the Clippers defense is one of the best units in the league, the Nuggets should look to push the ball in transition off made or missed shots as much as possible. For those that pay attention to Denver, this isn’t something out of the ordinary for Jokic, as he consistently makes outlet passes and wants to push tempo as much as possible. Even in the halfcourt setting, I’m still anticipating a strong game for the Nuggets offense, especially with Jokic, Jamal Murray and company coming off a week of rest and still flying high with new head coach David Adelman at the controls. Denver has had no trouble scoring all season long, but the glaring issue for the Nuggets is on the defensive end. Denver is a bottom 10 unit in defensive rating, and these woes have particularly showed up against high-level competition, which is exactly what the Clippers bring to the table with Harden, Leonard, Norman Powell and rising star Ivica Zubac at center. Ultimately, I’m expecting plenty of efficient halfcourt offense from both sides in a game that should finish closer to 230 total points.

Clippers vs Nuggets prediction: Over 223.5 available at time of publishing. Playable to 224.5

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