Clippers vs Nuggets Odds, Player Props, Injuries & Predictions (Game 5)

• The LA Clippers visit the Denver Nuggets in a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday night in Denver
• For the first time in the series, the road team is favored in LAC/DEN Game 5
• See the Clippers vs Nuggets odds, predictions, and player-prop picks on April 29

The best series of the first round of the NBA playoff bracket resumes tonight as the LA Clippers (50-32, 20-21 away, ATS) visit the Denver Nuggets (50-32, 26-15 home, ATS) at Ball Arena in Denver with the best-of-seven knotted at two games apiece.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:10 pm MT/10:10 pm ET and, for the first time in five games, the road team is a slight favorite to win in Tuesday night’s NBA odds.

LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Odds for Game 5

LAC is currently laying 1.5 points and is a -127 favorite on the moneyline (a 55.95% implied win probability). The Nuggets come back as +105 home underdogs (a 48.78% implied win probability). The game total is sitting at 208.5, which is by far the lowest of the series so far.

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The Nuggets evened the series with a 101-99 win on Sunday night as 6.5-point road underdogs. Nikola Jokic (29.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 10.2 APG) had a game-high 36 points and monstrous 21 rebounds in the victory while all five Denver starters scored at least 13 points and logged at least 42 minutes. (Denver’s bench contributed just four total points in 24 minutes.)

Kawhi Leonard (21.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.1 APG) had a team-high 24 for LAC while Norman Powell (21.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG) added 22.

Nuggets vs Clippers ATS & Over/Under Trends

Only one game of the series so far came anywhere near the total: Game 1 finished 2.5 points shy of its 224.5 total. The O/Us have been steadily declining since, reaching the new low of 208.0 in Tuesday’s Game 5. The last three games in the series have all stayed at least ten points under the total.

Game 4 was the first time Denver covered the spread in the series, winning straight-up as 6.5-point road underdogs, which was also the biggest spread either team had faced in the best-of-seven.

DEN vs LAC Injury Reports

Injuries were part of the reason why the Nugget starters had to log such heavy minutes in Game 4. Denver was missing Russell Westbrook due to a foot injury. The 36-year-old veteran is averaging 10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG in the series despite playing just nine minutes in Game 3, when he suffered the foot injury that kept him out of Game 4.

Westbrook is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game.

The only other player of note on either injury report is Denver’s Michael Porter Jr, who is probable with a shoulder issue. Porter has 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 42 minutes in Game 4.

LAC vs DEN Player Props

NBA player props from DraftKings on April 29.

As he has each game this series, Jokic leads the point, rebound, and assist totals, sitting at 28.5, 12.5, and 9.5, respectively. Leonard has the highest total on the LAC side at 25.5 while James Harden (22.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 8.7 APG) and Jamal Murray (21.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.0 APG) are both at 20.5.

In the postseason, Jokic’s scoring average is down slightly (from 29.6 to 28.5 PPG) but his rebound total is up (from 12.7 to 13.5 RPG) as is his assist total (from 10.2 to 10.8 APG). He leads the series in all three statistical categories and is the only player averaging over two steals per game (2.3 SPG).

Clippers vs Nuggets Prediction & Picks

• Nuggets moneyline (+112) at FanDuel
• Jokic over 28.5 points (-120) at bet365

I understand the rationale: the Clippers are deeper and proven-postseason performer Kawhi Leonard has turned back the clock on his oft-injured 33-year-old frame. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are now deep into a playoff series in which they’re riding their starters hard. There’s only been one day off since Denver’s hard-fought Game 4 win, which – as mentioned – saw all starters play at least 42 minutes.

But I still can’t get away from the Nuggets as a plus-money home underdog when the best player in the world is playing at the height of his powers. The Nuggets are 15-5 straight-up at Ball Arena in their last 20 home playoff games dating back to their championship run in 2023.

The Nugget personnel will obviously be more accustomed to playing in rarified Denver air, and it’s not like Clippers coach Ty Lue is going terribly deep into his bench either. Denver has seven players averaging 14.3 MPG in the series, while LA has eight. LAC’s three biggest contributors – Leonard, Harden, and Zubac – are all averaging at least 38.5 MPG, while Norm Powell is averaging 33.8, and he, Leonard, and Harden are all on the wrong side of 30.