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Clippers vs Nuggets Game 6 Picks and Odds

Sam Cox

by Sam Cox in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 5, 2021 · 10:34 AM PST

Lou Williams
Lou and the Clippers will face the Jazz on Friday night (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)
  • The Denver Nuggets snatched a Friday win over the Los Angeles Clippers to force a Game 6
  • Leading the series 3-2, the Clips are one game away from their first Conference Finals appearance in franchise history
  • Get the latest odds, betting analysis and a pick ahead of Game 6 below

The Denver Nuggets have already come back from 3-1 down once this postseason. Their Friday win over the Clippers started them on that road once again, though they need a further two victories if they are to pull off an upset in the Western Conference’s second round.

It was a fourth quarter comeback for Denver in Game 5, following a low-scoring loss in Game 4. The two teams go again on Sunday for what the Clippers will hope is the final game of the series.

Like the rest of this series, the Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets odds for Game 6 fancy the Clips to win relatively easily.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets Game 6 Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Odds at DraftKings Total
Los Angeles Clippers -8.5 (-110) -375 O 213.5 (-110)
Denver Nuggets +8.5 (-110) +295 U 213.5 (-110)

Odds taken September 12.

Gritty Denver

These Nuggets will just not give up. They fought back against the Utah Jazz in the last round, and they did in the same in Game 5. Denver was seven down at the start of the fourth, facing an immense defensive team with a superstar in Kawhi Leonard who can get wherever he wants on the court and hit the most difficult of shots. The Nuggets’ season looked as good as over when the final 12 minutes of Friday’s game began, but they defended with fierce intensity and found a shooting hot streak.

They went 7-for-9 from three in the fourth, while the Clips went 3-for-13. Michael Porter Jr. hit a huge three on the wing with a little over 60 seconds on the clock, and Nikola Jokic was perfect from the field.

Jamal Murray had the ball in his hands once again. His 3-for-7 line was far from his antics in the Jazz series, but he made great plays, finishing with seven assists in total, four of which came in the fourth.

The Nuggets were great in the fourth, but they needed some poor shooting from LA. It’s a huge ask to repeat that sort of effort on Sunday.

Williams, Harrell Kept Quiet

One key component of Denver’s Friday win was how quiet they kept Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. The bench duo have been held to 9.8 and 11.4 points per game this series. In part, that’s because they’ve played fewer minutes, and this isn’t the ideal series for them, but they have been ineffective in the minutes they have played, too.

Williams is shooting under 36% from the field in the second round, and went 2-for-10 on Friday, including missing all three of his fourth quarter shots. Harrell got just six points on his way to a -9 in 15 minutes.

Minimizing the influence of the Clippers’ sixth and seventh men is so big. The depth of this team offensively is what has made them such a juggernaut. If Williams and Harrell are limited to fewer minutes, the pressure on Leonard and, more significantly, Paul George is so much greater. A cold night from George and the Clips are suddenly reliant on Marcus Morris.

Denver have dented the Clips’ depth by nullifying Harrell and Williams. Their margin for error has narrowed.

Nuggets To Cover

There’s a temptation to back Denver’s moneyline at +295. It’s a decent price, but the Nuggets needed to play near perfect basketball to steal Game 5. Repeating that performance, and with a bit of luck, is perhaps a bit optimistic.

Denver to cover at +8.5 looks a safe enough bet. They have been competitive after a heavy loss in Game 1 – they will make the Clippers work for this series.

Pick: Denver Nuggets +8.5 (-110)

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