Opening Nuggets vs Suns Odds, Series Price & Spread

• Phoenix opened as a -140 favorite in the Nuggets vs Suns series odds ahead of their second round showdown
• The Suns are 12-1 this season with Kevin Durant in the lineup
• Get the complete series odds and spread for the Nuggets vs Suns second round matchup here

With all due respect to the rest of the West, the Nuggets vs Suns second round series is effectively the Conference Final.

Denver boasted the West’s top record during the regular season, while Phoenix is arguably the most talented team offensively in the league now that Kevin Durant is healthy.

Online sportsbooks are bullish on the Suns prospects of taking down the top-seeded Nuggets. Phoenix has been pegged the series favorite in the NBA odds, despite being seeded fourth and not having home court advantage.

Nuggets vs Suns Series Odds

The Suns are currently listed as -140 favorites to advance in the NBA playoff bracket, while the series spread is priced at 1.5 games.

Game 1 of this heavyweight matchup goes down Saturday in Denver, with Game 2 tipping off two days later. The series will have three days off in between Games 2 and 3, before the action picks back up on Friday (May 5) in Phoenix.

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Odds as of April 26 at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Phoenix Suns Betting Notes

The Suns produced the highest offensive rating in the opening round of the playoffs, averaging 122.5 points per 100 possessions. That was eight points better than their season long mark, and four points better than Sacramento’s, which led the NBA during the regular season with a rating of 118.6.

This was the type of ceiling Phoenix envisioned when they traded for Kevin Durant. Adding KD to a core of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton makes the Suns the most imposing team to guard, and it’s no surprise they’ve dominated since Durant joined the lineup.

Phoenix is 12-1 with Durant on the court, with their lone loss coming in Game 1 of the opening round to the Clippers. After that defeat, the Suns averaged 125 points per outing en route to winning four straight. Durant shot 52% from the field in the series, averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, but believe it or not he was outshined by Booker.

This is so cool. Kevin Durant hyping up Devin Booker.

“It was spiritual” KD on Book tonight.

Love these guys. pic.twitter.com/lSQ8ESHriL

— andrew leezus (@AndrewLeezus) April 26, 2023

Booker leads the postseason in scoring at 37.2 points per game. He averaged 40 points on 62% shooting over the opening round’s final four contests, becoming only the third player in NBA history to put up such numbers.

Durant and Booker became just the second duo in league history to each score 25+ points in every game of a best-of-seven series, producing 328 total points in five games.

With Paul acting as the floor general, and Ayton providing rim protection and rebounding, the Suns are the team to beat in the West. They’re +145 favorites in the NBA Conference odds, more than twice as short as the Nuggets at +300.

Denver Nuggets Betting Notes

But that’s not to say Denver is going to be an easy out. They were far and away the best team in the West during the regular season, and have arguably the best player in the league on their roster. Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is a walking triple-double machine, and when he’s stuffing the stat sheet that means the Nuggets are usually winning.

Jokic had 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists in Denver’s Game 5 series clinching win over Minnesota, giving him two triple-doubles in the opening round. He’s got eight career postseason triple-doubles, one shy of the NBA record by a center.

Jokic has amassed 31 triple-doubles this season, including playoffs, with the Nuggets winning 29 of those games.

Nikola Jokic Game Five Vs Wolves:

27 PTS
17 REBS
12 AST
2 BLKS
2 STLS
3/8 3PT (37.5%)
5/21 2PT (23.8%)
9/10 FT (90%)
+5

CLUTCH MONSTER
4-1 Series Win
8th Playoff Triple-Double

NEXT UP pic.twitter.com/C3BEApkX7B

— Swipa (@SwipaCam) April 26, 2023

Denver is certainly not a one-man show, as Jamal Murray has been phenomenal all season. He produced multiple 35+ point efforts in the opening round, giving him seven such games in 38 career playoff outings.

The Nuggets were second during the regular season in offensive rating, and they’ve picked up right where they’ve left off in the playoffs. Only Phoenix and Miami are averaging more points per 100 possessions thus far, with Denver also putting up strong numbers defensively.

The Nuggets own the West’s second best defensive rating during the playoffs, and held the Timberwolves to just 105.4 points per game during the opening round.

Nuggets vs Suns Series Prediction

Also working in Denver’s favor is the league’s best home record at 37-7. They took all three home games against Minnesota in the first round, winning by an average or 13.5 points.

The Nuggets and Suns are clearly the class of the West, but ultimately Phoenix is just a hair better. The Durant-Booker combo has the potential to be the most dominant duo since the Kobe and Shaq days. Denver will push the Suns to the end, but ultimately Phoenix will prevail.

Nuggets vs Suns 2022-23 H2H Results

They’re the second leading contender in the NBA Championship odds for good reason, and once they dispose of the Nuggets don’t be surprised if they become the favorite to win the title.

Expect a long, hard fought series, with Phoenix emerging victorious in Game 6 or 7.

Pick: Over 5.5 Total Games (-200)