VA
  • TGT on YouTube
  • About TGT
  • The TGT Team
  • How TGT rates
  • Responsible Gambling Advice
  • Contact Our Team
  • Writers Wanted
  • Content Disclaimer
  • Affiliate Disclosure
Contains commercial content
The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / Betting Tips / NBA Playoffs Game 2 Denver vs Phoenix: Odds, Tips and predictions 05/01/23

NBA Playoffs Game 2 Denver vs Phoenix: Odds, Tips and predictions 05/01/23

Basketball Betting Tips · 05/01/2023 - 12:00 am · Ball Arena

Publish Date: 05/01/2023
Fact checked by: Simon Briffa

DraftKings
DraftKings
4.5/5
Prediction: Bet Nuggets to cover
  • Over/Under: Phoenix vs Denver (227)
  • Spread: Nuggets –4.5
  • Pick: Bet Denver to cover
20% up to $1000
Go to DraftKings

Game preview Phoenix vs Denver

As far as star power goes, few series can rival this series between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns in the second round of this year’s playoffs.

Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Jamal Murray are household names that excite any basketball fan while adding one of the most significant point guards ever – Suns guard Chris Paul – makes for an almost irresistibly alluring pairing.

And even better still is that both teams enter Game 1 rested and healthy – not a single player from either team is listed on the injury report for Game 1. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of every team participating in this year’s NBA Playoffs – ask Los Angeles Clippers.

Denver NuggetsCan the Nuggets take a commanding series lead?

At first glance, when the two teams begin their respective starting lineups, the Suns stand out with Booker and Durant being two of the greatest pure scorers in today’s game – Booker can go off at any point; when both are playing well together, it makes Suns nearly unbeatable.

Booker and Durant were just one of two duos to score at least 25 points in every game of a best-of-seven series opener.

Booker has been exceptional this post-season, averaging 37.2 points per game on an impressive clip that would have put him ahead of Michael Jordan (in Jimmy ‘Playoff’ Butler). However, an overwhelming feeling remains that Durant has yet to play his best basketball for the Suns.

Add Paul, who may no longer score like his former self but still boasts elite basketball IQ and is fourth in assists per game (8.2) during this post-season, and the Suns become frightening offensively. They finished Round One of playoff action with an excellent 122.5 offensive rating – three total points ahead of second-place Heat.

Unfortunately for Denver, they’re not known for their defense; finishing 15th overall in terms of overall defensive rating was something they struggled with this season. Their offense is what carried them, however; in an arms race with Phoenix Suns they would likely come out victorious.

Therefore, they need to bolster their defenses.

Aaron Gordon will likely see most of his time spent against Kevin Durant, while Booker will see Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown more frequently. To stop these two stars from Denver’s offense effectively, their opponents must work as one cohesive unit.

Unfortuately, that can be much simpler said than done.

 

Phoenix SunsCan the Suns bounce back?

Phoenix went all in when they made a bold move for Durant in early February after coming up short in the NBA Finals two seasons prior.

Suns owners understandably had to offer up a lot for Durant, one of the greatest scorers ever seen in league history. By adding him, they gained one of the greatest scorers but lost an abundance of picks and scoring depth as part of the deal.

Even an undermanned Clippers squad managed to expose Phoenix Suns bench units. After Round 1, their bench ranks ninth with a net rating of -1.7; Denver had the second-best net rating with their reserves at 5.6.

Monty Williams recently decided to increase Durant and Booker’s minutes played per game in the playoffs; these two are currently leading with 43.8 minutes on average!

This strategy may have worked against an injured Clippers squad that could be dispatched in five games, but against Denver, it will likely prove more of a test, with many experts expecting this series to last the distance.

Will Suns starters have enough leg power if the series goes to Game 7? No one questions their talent; however, playoffs are a marathon, not a sprint, and all those minutes could take their toll in the end.

Our Betting Pick for Today – Bet the Nuggets -4.5

Depth and home-court advantage give the Nuggets the edge in this game, if they can contain Durant and Booker, they win again and cover!

Tip:
Nuggets to Cover
Best Odd
-4.5
Brand
FanDuel
Max. Bonus
Bet Now
Read Also
Sportsbook of the month
PointsBet - Get your Bonus Bet now! Get your Bonus Bet now!
Betting Tips
06/01/2023 - 8:30 pm
Ball Arena
Tip:
Nuggets to Cover
Nuggets -8
FanDuel
05/29/2023 - 8:30 pm
TD Garden
Tip:
Heat to Cover
Heat +8
FanDuel
05/27/2023 - 8:30 pm
Kaseya Arena
Tip:
Celtics to Cover
Celtics -3
FanDuel
Latest News
The Truth About Rocky Marciano
A lot has been said on social media ...
Coach Prime: Is he Good for College Football
Since Sanders was hired at Colorado, over 80% ...
The Nine Most underrated Heavyweight Boxers of All-Time
I love making these lists. I grew up ...
Caesars unveils ambitious Times Square casino plan
Caesars Entertainment CEO Thomas Reeg has revealed an ...
Sportsbook of the month
PointsBet - Get your Bonus Bet now! Get your Bonus Bet now!
Top Brands
Top Bonuses
Stake.us
Stake.us
Stake.us Review
4.6/5
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas Review
4.6/5
Golden Hearts Games
Golden Hearts Games
Golden Hearts Games Review
4.6/5
LuckyLand Slots
LuckyLand Slots
LuckyLand Slots Review
4.5/5
Pulsz.com
Pulsz.com
Pulsz.com Review
4.5/5
Stake.us
Stake.us Bonus
5% Rakeback
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Wow Vegas
Wow Vegas Bonus
30 SCs on 1st Purchase + 4.5 SCs FREE
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Golden Hearts Games
Golden Hearts Games Bonus
Get $5 extra in FREE play
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
LuckyLand Slots
LuckyLand Slots Bonus
7,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Pulsz.com
Pulsz.com Bonus
5,000 Gold Coins + 2.3 Sweepstakes Coins
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Our Team
Mike GoodpasterAuthor IconJosh SchwartzSamuel TeetsSimon Briffa
+8
Mike Goodpaster
Mike Goodpaster
Chief Editor
Author Icon
Christopher Carlson
Content Writer
Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
Editor
Samuel Teets
Samuel Teets
US Sports Veteran
Simon Briffa
Simon Briffa
Sports Editor
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis
Editor
Chris Benedict
Chris Benedict
Editor
Author Icon
Malik Zorrok
Author
Author Icon
Daniel Kornhauser
Author
John Raspanti
John Raspanti
Author
Author Icon
Buddy Gibbs
Author
Brian Coburn
Brian Coburn
Author
Peter Bonahoom
Peter Bonahoom
Author
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....

If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into “The Grueling Truth” sports shows, “Where the legends speak”

Contact us: contact@thegruelingtruth.com

Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.

21+NCPG
Move to Top
Close
Stake.us Exclusive Bonus
5% Rakeback
Promo Code
Copy
Visit Site
T&Cs apply, 18+
Payment Methods
Bitcoin
Litecoin
Ethereum
Dogecoin
Highlights
  • Exclusive promo code: TGTSOCIAL
  • Play Plinko, Hilo, Crash and more!
  • Get Stake Cash bonuses every day!
Stake Originals
Dice
Crash
Plinko
Mines
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Visit Site