NBA Playoffs: Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Game 5 Best Bets

With their best-of-seven series all square at two, the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns will tip off for Game 5 later tonight from Ball Arena.

Odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Through four games in this series, the home teams have continued to hold serve, with Denver winning the first two games at home and the Suns replying with two victories at home. The winner of tonight’s Game 5 will take a 3-2 series lead, meaning we have to ask if the home team will continue to pick up victories in their arena. 

Denver is currently listed as a home favorite on the moneyline and spread, where they’re priced at -215 on the moneyline, in addition to being 5.5-point favorites on the spread. Phoenix is priced at +180 on the moneyline. This has been a compelling series, and the star power has continued to shine, precisely what we expect to transpire in Denver tonight. 

The Nuggets have been an elite team at home this season, and that was a big problem for the Suns to handle in Games 1 and 2. After his scuffle in Game 4 that saw him get fined $25,000, we expect another monster game from Nikola Jokic on his home floor tonight. Denver will have to play high-level defense like we saw them do early in this series on the Suns’ star players. We expect them to be able to do that, meaning backing Denver to win by at least six points is our direction tonight in Game 5. 

Best Bet: Nuggets -5.5 (-112) 

The first four games in this series have seen 232, 184, 235, and 253 total points scored. The total for tonight’s Game 5 is 227.5, with the over and under listed at -110. You have to think that the Nuggets would prefer a lower-scoring game, meaning that the Suns’ star players won’t be as effective, and the team is playing in a good defensive rhythm. That’s exactly the game plan Denver put out there in Game 2, and we’re expecting Michael Malone to slow down the pace here in Game 5 and not let the Suns run in transition. As a result, we’re leaning toward the under 227.5 in this Game 5. 

Best Bet: Under 227.5 (-110) 

One player that’s continued to elevate his game in the postseason for the Nuggets is their big man, Nikola Jokic. The Serbian Star has been nothing short of dominant for the past three seasons, two of which ultimately saw him win the league MVP. In this series against the Suns, he’s taken another step. The Nuggets’ top weapon has his total points+rebounds+assists prop listed at 54.5 in Game 5. In the first four games of this series, he’s totaled 48, 60, 64, and 68. Considering these trends, we like Joker to record over 54.5 combined points+rebounds+assists in tonight’s Game 5. 

Best Prop: Nikola Jokic to Record Over 54.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists (-104)