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The first-round matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers should be a high-scoring affair as it's the only first-round series featuring two teams that rank in the top 10 in scoring. However, Denver enters Game 1 banged up as Jamal Murray (knee) is out for the season and Will Barton (hamstring) hasn't played in a month. On the other hand, Portland is as healthy as any team in the league and has been streaking as of late with a 10-2 record over its last 12 games.

Tip-off for Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Nuggets as 1.5-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 227 in the latest Blazers vs. Nuggets odds. Before you make any Nuggets vs. Blazers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,100 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up almost $900 on its top-rated picks this season and entered the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs on a stunning 99-66 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Nuggets vs. Blazers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Blazers vs. Nuggets:

  • Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers spread: Nuggets -1.5
  • Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers over-under: 227 points
  • Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers money line: Denver -120, Portland +100
  • DEN: The Nuggets are 3-5 against the spread in the last eight games
  • POR: The Blazers are 9-3 against the spread in the last 12 games

Why the Nuggets can cover

Denver won two of three games vs. Portland this season, with the only defeat coming in the last game of the regular season when the Nuggets rested many of their best players. The Nuggets compete on both ends of the court as they rank eighth in points scored and eighth in points allowed, making them just one of three NBA teams among the top eight in both categories. The Nuggets like to take advantage of the thin air that comes with playing at home as they average four more points per game in their friendly confines as opposed to the road.

The catalyst of Denver's attack is center Nikola Jokic, who is the favorite to win the NBA MVP award. He had one of his five 40-point games this season against Portland back in February as the Blazers lack the big men to contain Jokic. While Denver's backcourt is depleted due to injuries, it has great depth in its frontcourt. Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon are both averaging double-digits, while Paul Millsap comes off the bench and has over 100 games of postseason experience.

Why the Trail Blazers can cover

Portland is hoping for another victory in Game 1 as it strolled past Denver with points to spare on Sunday, taking the game 132-116. Portland's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but center Jusuf Nurkic led the charge as he dropped a double-double with 20 points and 13 boards. It was the Blazers' 10th win in their last 12 games, so they'll enter the playoffs as hot as any team in the league.

The Blazers are, once again, led by perennial All-NBA guard Damian Lillard. He averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game, while ranking third in the league with 275 made 3-pointers. He led Portland's offense, which ranked fifth in the NBA with 116.1 points per game. Lillard's backcourt mate, CJ McCollum, has battled injuries this year but averaged a career-high of 23.1 points, while the recently acquired Norman Powell chipped in with 17.0 points per contest.

How to make Nuggets vs. Blazers picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 229 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Blazers vs. Nuggets? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.