Opening Suns vs Nuggets 2nd Round Series Odds List Phoenix as -220 Favorites to Advance

• The Suns and Nuggets will officially meet in the Western Conference semifinals after both teams finished up their first-round series on Thursday night
• Phoenix enters as a heavy -220 favorite
• Get the odds, preview, and early pick below

The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets will face off in what is expected to be a very entertaining Western Conference semifinal.

The Suns pulled off the unthinkable on Thursday, by eliminating LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games after winning three straight. Devin Booker erupted for 47 in the series clincher, with the team shooting a mind-boggling 51% from downtown at the Staples Center.

As for the Nuggets, they also wrapped up their first-round matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers, winning 4-2. Despite being down for most of Game 6, Nikola Jokic and co. soared back in the fourth quarter and fully capitalized off numerous Portland turnovers to advance.

Read on to find the opening odds for this series.

Suns vs Nuggets Series Odds

Odds as of June 4th

Phoenix is Rolling

The Suns were always seen as a scary opponent for the Lakers after such a fantastic season, much in part to the arrival of Chris Paul. However, after injuring his shoulder in Game 1, he wasn’t a huge factor for Phoenix, playing just 28.2 minutes per game while averaging 9.4 points and 6.8 dimes.

Booker was in fact the true superstar in this series. The former Kentucky standout put up 29.7 points per night while shooting 43% from deep. He absolutely went off on Thursday, scoring 22 points in the first quarter alone to quickly set the tone offensively.

With CP3 limited, the supporting cast has also played a key part in the Suns enjoying immediate success in their first postseason in 11 years. Cam Payne added a scoring punch off the bench, while the likes of Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson hit countless timely shots.

Although AD missed the last 2.5 games for the Lakers, Phoenix did an extremely good job defensively. They filled the paint with bodies and forced Los Angeles to take a lot of three-pointers, which ended up working in the Suns’ favor.

What a series. Onto the next!

𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 | #RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/UOHJFQaMDV

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 4, 2021

The Nuggets will be no easy opponent. Monty Williams’ squad will obviously need to limit the Joker, which is a task in itself. Denver is also shooting the ball very well in the playoffs, which means they’ll have to definitely change their defensive strategy in round two. Hopefully, Paul can get healthier as well and play more minutes.

Nuggets Getting it Done Without Murray

A lot of people doubted the Nuggets without star guard Jamal Murray. However, the team was able to get it done in the opening round against Damian Lillard and the Blazers.

Jokic spearheaded the offense with a ridiculous 33 points and 11 rebounds per contest, while Michael Porter Jr also rose to the occasion with just under 20 a game. He will need to continue his impressive play as Denver’s second-best player.

The lack of depth in their backcourt didn’t hurt them too much, with Facundo Campazzo stepping up and doing his best to contain Dame and CJ McCollum. Lillard went off in the series, but he wasn’t getting much help at all. Austin Rivers also hit some massive shots throughout for the Nuggets, including four timely threes in the final quarter of Game 3 to seal a win.

A key against the Suns will be containing their efficiency from long range. Although Denver was respectable defensively in the first round, Portland did shoot 41% from beyond the arc.

See you soon @Suns pic.twitter.com/gxmzAxKRzn

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 4, 2021

Frankly, they missed a lot of open looks as well. The Nuggets also must do their absolute best to contain Booker and make him pass the ball and/or take tough shots.

Early Pick

Phoenix just handed LeBron and the current champs an early exit. They’re oozing with confidence right now. There are no notable injuries to speak of on either side therefore odds shouldn’t change much ahead of Game 1 on Monday.

To be honest, Denver just beat a Blazers team who are very poor on the defensive end. The Suns are a much different story. While I believe Jokic will keep the Nuggets in the series, Phoenix will march their way into the Western Conference finals in six games.

Pick: Phoenix Suns -220