Clippers vs Nuggets Game 4 Picks and Odds

• The Los Angeles Clippers took a 2-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night
• Denver came from 3-1 down to Utah in the first round and needs another comeback in the Western Conference’s semifinals
• Get the latest odds, betting discussion and a pick ahead of Game 4 below

The pressure is once again on the Denver Nuggets ahead of their Wednesday matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. Denver has already come from 3-1 down once this playoffs, but falling to such a deficit against the Clips would surely mean the end of their post-season run.

Denver fought hard in their Game 3 loss, but they were shut down by a supreme Clips defense in the fourth quarter. A 19-point effort from the Nuggets was enough to see them fall to a 113-107 defeat.

DraftKings’ latest Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets odds heavily favor Kawhi Leonard and co. to take a commanding 3-1 lead on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Game 4 Odds

Odds taken September 8th

How Much Does Porter Play?

The Jazz played Michael Porter Jr. off the floor in the first round. His defense was exposed over and over again. Utah put him in the pick-and-roll and had him in a mess on the defensive end. It’s no surprise to see Mike Malone once again cautious with Porter in the second round, but his offensive output could be enough to earn him more time on the court after scoring 18 points in 23 Game 3 minutes.

Porter was a +6 on Monday. He hit a couple of threes in his 18 and stole four offensive boards. The Clippers tried various different guys on him, and continued to switch, but he was a scoring threat throughout. Malone has a tricky decision to make on Wednesday – how much does he risk playing Porter?

Michael Porter Jr. sends Montrezl Harrell to middle earth pic.twitter.com/a0RE4GkvJm

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) September 8, 2020

The upside of Porter offensively could win them the game. His defensive downside could see the Clippers build an insurmountable lead. At this stage of his career, he’s a flawed, but ultimately exciting player.

Managing his time on the court, and deciding when to use him, will have a major impact on how this series plays out.

Murray’s Struggles

After a record-breaking series against Utah, Jamal Murray has had a couple of difficult games against the Clippers. A 12-point outing in Game 1 resulted in a loss, and his 14-point, five-for-17 scoreline in Game 3 saw the same outcome. His 27 points in Game 2 came in their only win of the series so far.

JAMAL MURRAY GOT KAWHI 🤮 https://t.co/k3fm9PF8QB

— Overtime (@overtime) September 6, 2020

It is simplistic to claim the Nuggets can only win if Murray scores 20+, but at the very least, they need efficiency from the star guard. His effective field goal percentage was over 65% in the first round, and his 31.8% assist rate was well above his career numbers. What we saw against the Jazz was Murray not only making shots, but initiating offense and creating good looks. The nine assists in Game 3 was a positive sign.

Denver needs Murray scoring efficiently if they are to take this series deep. He’s -28 across his last four games – there is so much more pressure on Nikola Jokic offensively without Murray knocking down shots.

Denver to Cover

The Clippers have locked the Nuggets down in the second half of each game so far. They held them to a 88.9 defensive rating in the second half on Monday. Malone has limited options to counter this without leaving his team vulnerable defensively. He’s heavily reliant on Murray getting going and Jerami Grant hitting shots.

Another ridiculous pass from Jokic! pic.twitter.com/qhUQHFFKKk

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 8, 2020

It’s easy to see this series getting away from Denver, who were exhausted at the end of round one and had little time to recover.

While there was question about their effort in the first round, the Nuggets have been committed in this series. They will fight hard on Wednesday, and look a good bet to cover, though the moneyline seems a tad optimistic.

Pick: Denver Nuggets +7.5 (-110)