Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Playoff Picks, Predictions and Odds: Game 1

Check out our Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors betting picks and odds for the NBA Western Conference Playoffs First Round Game 1 that will take place in Chase Center, San Francisco, CA, on April 16, 2022.

Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors Top Two Picks

The top story regarding this playoff series is whether Steph Curry will be ready for Game 1 and if not, is he will be available at all for the Warriors. Steve Kerr’s team was second in the West for most of the regular season but after Curry went down, the Memphis Grizzlies has climbed in the standings and the Warriors finished as the third seed.

That brings them the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The team from Colorado has also struggled with injuries as the starting point guard Jamal Murray has missed the entire season and the young and promising Michel Porter Jr. has missed the past couple of months with back injury.

Before Curry’s injury, the Warriors seemed like a top contender in the West alongside Phoenix but if Curry is out they may be vulnerable. Still, coach Kerr can be optimistic since Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole has been playing great all season long and Draymond Green is always ready to do the dirty work for the team and there will be plenty of it against the Joker.

Following are our Nuggets vs. Warriors predictions and also check out our our NBA daily expert picks.

Here are my picks and predictions for Sunday’s NBA matchup between the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors. (Odds via BetMGM)

Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors Game Info

Matchup: Western Conference First Round Game 1 – No.6 Nuggets vs No.3 Warriors

Tipoff time: Sunday, April 16, 2022, 8.30 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors Odds Analysis

The Golden State Warriors are a 6.5 point favorites going into Game 1 and that is with Steph Curry expecting to play. If news comes out that the Warriors best player will sit this one out, this spread will look very much different.

The total for this game is at 223.5 and that can be covered by these two teams if they are hot from three-point territory. Both teams are shooting around 36% from deep and that percentage may be key when it comes to the winner of game 1.

• The Warriors are 31-10 at home this season
• The Nuggets are 25-16 on the road this season

Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors  Predictions

Denver Nuggets +6.5 (-110)

This game will pretty much set the tone for the entire series. If Curry is not in the roster, the Nuggets will have to take advantage of it. Nikola Jokic is probably on his way to win his second consecutive MVP award and his number are not questionable for this game. Draymond Green is one of the best defenders in the league but he won’t be able to slow down the Joker as the Serbian is much taller and seems like he always find the right solution. Denver’s success would depend on the role players. Aaron Gordon is the second scorer on the team and he will have to make his presence felt in the paint. Shooting has not been an issue for the Nuggets since most of the players on the team are very efficient from deep.

But if there is a team that shoots better than the Nuggets, that is definitely Golden State. They have numerous offensive weapons mainly Curry and his fellow splash brother Klay Thompson. Rebounding may be an issue for the Warriors against the Nuggets and that is the aspect where Green and Wiggins will have to step up.

This game may seem like a shooting battle at moments and if the Nuggets move the ball well as they usually does, they will be able to keep the score close and cover the spread of +6.5 points.

Over 223.5 (-110)

With or without Steph Curry, the Warriors will try to overrun the Nuggets and let it fly from every spot on the court. The Nuggets will have no choice but try to keep up the pace. That playing style will result with many points on both sides which will get this game over the 223.5 points margin.

Andrew Wiggins over 17.5 points (100)

The Warriors staring forward is coming off his best season of his career making his first All-Star appearance. Wiggins averaged 17.2 points per game and he will probably go over that number in the game against the Nuggets. This will be the case even more if Curry miss this game since the rest of the guys will have to take more shots than usual and Wiggins will be the player who will take more responsibility. In his case, more shots would mean more points.

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