Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers: Odds, Spread, and Total
It’s hard to find a tighter NBA playoff series than the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers battling in Round 1. Tonight’s Game 5 tipoff at 10 p.m. EST has…
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: Ivica Zubac #40 of the Los Angeles Clippers and Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets tip off to begin Game Four of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome on April 26, 2025 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
It's hard to find a tighter NBA playoff series than the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers battling in Round 1. Tonight's Game 5 tipoff at 10 p.m. EST has been preceded by three out of four fantastic finishes, the most recent of which involved Denver taking revenge for LA's anomaly of an easy win from Thursday.
There are Clippers fans who'll say the Nuggets didn't really win Game 4, in contrast to the official score of Denver 101, Los Angeles 99. Nikola Jokic's errant three-ball with 01 second left led to one of the closest split-second outcomes in NBA history when Jokic's teammate, Aaron Gordon, caught and slam-dunked the basketball at the buzzer, leading to a long review. Referees determined that the ball had left Gordon's hands while going through the rim with less than one-fiftieth of a second remaining before the horn.
Gordon's landmark buzzer-beater masked an otherwise bad final 12:00 for Denver. The Nuggets nearly blew a 22-point lead to fall two games behind in the series. Denver beat the buzzer but was saved by the bell, too, leading to slightly more betting action on Los Angeles to win on the road in Game 5.
Spread
- Nuggets +2 (-108)
- Clippers -2 (-110)
Moneyline
- Nuggets +115
- Clippers -130
Total
- OVER 208 (-110)
- UNDER 208.5 (-110)
*The above data was collected on April 29, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers Betting Trends
- Denver is 2-14 ATS in its last 16 home games.
- Totals have gone UNDER in five of Denver's last six games with LA.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of LA's last six contests.
- The Clippers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers Injury Reports
Denver Nuggets
- Power forward DeRon Holmes II is out for Game 5 after a right Achilles tendon repair.
- Point guard Russell Westbrook is questionable for Game 5 with a foot injury.
Los Angeles Clippers
- None
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers Predictions and Picks
Game 4's second half was representative of the whole Nuggets-Clippers series. Denver can rack up nice leads with Jokic doing the sharpshooting, but there's always a chance the Clippers' superior depth and dynamic style will take over a game. LA's single-point spread would be less of a compliment if tonight didn't bring the series back to Ball Arena, where Nugs fans will be insane following Saturday's win.
Tonight's tight point spread also marks the Nuggets-Clippers' fierce physical rivalry, which has led to scuffles in the series. But the grind is taking more of a toll on Denver. "It may be wishful thinking to hope for the Nuggets to have the same (Russell) Westbrook (from) the overtime win in Game 1," laments Jordanna Clark of FanSided. Westbrook's injury may sideline the PG for a second straight game.
The teams are angry enough to guard each other on the bench. A low-scoring Game 5 would make Denver a dangerous 'dog, but it's also likely to finish under the sportsbook's totals line for tonight.
