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The 2021 NBA Playoffs get underway on Tuesday, May 18 with the new play-in tournament. The 7-10 seeds in each conference face off to finalize the final two spots in each conference’s eight-team first round. As the playoffs get underway, we’ll be breaking down DraftKings Sportsbook odds for each team to open the tournament and as teams advance through each round.
The Nuggets entered 2020-21 with high expectations after making the Western Conference finals last season and falling short to the Lakers. They seemed poised for a breakout season, but Jamal Murray’s torn ACL has put a bit of a dampener on those plans. Nikola Jokic has maintained his MVP form while Michael Porter Jr. has taken his game to another level. Denver’s ceiling has been lowered by the loss of its point guard, but Facundo Campazzo, Austin Rivers, Monte Morris, and others will attempt to fill in for Murray as a collective in the meantime. Getting past the Nuggets won’t be a cakewalk, but it won’t be nearly as difficult as it could’ve been.
Nuggets odds to win NBA championship, May 17: +3000
Denver’s odds to make the finals (+1200) are fifth and their title odds are tied for eighth (+3000). The Nuggets proved that they can go toe to toe with any team in the Western Conference during the regular season, but winning multiple series without Murray will be tough. Luckily for Denver, it will get to start the postseason against a middle-of-the-pack team and avoid facing the dangerous sleepers toward the bottom.
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