The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers are set to clash in a Western Conference four-five matchup for the ages in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Both teams have hopes of making deep playoff runs but face a dangerous foe standing in their way. These teams had an epic 7-game series during the 2020 bubble playoffs, and NBA fans are hoping for a similar show in this first-round matchup. We are going to look at the Nuggets-Clippers series odds, top series storylines, and will make a Nuggets vs Clippers series prediction for this first-round battle.
Nuggets vs Clippers Series Prediction And Overview
A Clash of the Opposing Strengths
It seems crazy that one of these teams will be eliminated in the first round. The Nuggets always have championship expectations with Nikola Jokic on their roster, while the Clippers have quietly won all season long while Kawhi Leonard saved himself for a strong late-season stretch. Both of these teams are contenders. This series will eventually come down to the simple battle of offense vs defense.
The Nuggets ended the season as the fourth-ranked offense in the league. Even with multiple key players battling injuries throughout the season, they have Jokic, and he is an entire offense just by himself.
On the other end of the floor will stand the Clippers’ elite defense. They finished the season ranked third on the defensive side. Ivica Zubac holds down the paint for them while Leonard and multiple other role-playing defenders put the clamps on opponents working in the perimeter. This series has the potential to help answer the age-old question of which is more important to winning, elite offense or defense?
Nuggets-Clippers Series Odds
The odds makers aren’t able to answer that question. According to FanDuel, as of Tuesday morning, they have the series nearly dead even. The Nuggets are slight favorites at -120 to the Clippers +102. This means they consider the series a toss-up, giving a slight edge to the Nuggets’ home-court advantage.
Nuggets vs Clippers Series Prediction
There is one key factor that could make a huge difference in this series. The Nuggets recently fired their head coach and general manager just days before the end of the season. Organizational turmoil like this right before the playoffs is a red flag. Having to follow a new coach into battle right for playoffs will be a difficult transition for the Nuggets.
Another potential issue for the Nuggets is Jamal Murray’s health. Murray just recently returned from injury and scored inefficiently in his two games back. If Murray is still hobbled in any way, or needs more games to get back into shape, it is going to be hard for him to get anything going against the swarming Clippers’ defense.
On the other hand, everything is clicking for the Clippers. They ended the season with a healthy Leonard and James Harden, and closed things out on an eight-game winning streak. Leonard looks to be in peak form and is playing some of the best basketball of his career.
So, although it is hard to bet against Jokic in any playoff series, the Clippers may have an edge here. At this exact moment of the season, they are the better basketball team, and their defense is going to win out against Jokic and the Nuggets’ offense. Clippers in six.
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