The Denver Nuggets have the Los Angeles Clippers on the brink of elimination as the series heads back to Intuit Dome for Game 6.
The pregame narrative: Following a blowout Denver win at altitude in Game 5, Los Angeles is a 7-point favourite back on its home court. The Clippers are hoping for a return to form for their star players, especially the struggling James Harden, to avoid another early playoff exit in the Kawhi Leonard era.
I’m staying away from picking a side on Thursday, and am instead backing three players — Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell and Christian Braun — to produce. Check out my Nuggets vs. Clippers playoff SGP predictions for Game 6 on Wednesday, May 1.
Nuggets vs. Clippers predictions
Parlay: Leonard 20+ points | Powell 2+ threes | Braun over 7.5 rebounds and assists (+290)
Leonard 20+ points (-275): Nikola Jokic is the best player on the court, but Leonard is reminding everyone that he’s not far off.
The Klaw is averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists this series on 55.7% shooting.
He’s scored 20-plus points in each game and has reached this milestone in 20 straight games dating back to the regular season. In that span, Leonard is averaging a healthy 26.2 PPG.
Denver allowed the seventh-most PPG to small forwards this season, according to Fantasy Pros.
I expect Leonard to be a force with L.A.’s season on the line.
NBA SGP legs
Powell 2+ threes (-250): Powell fell short of this line in Game 5, going 1-for-5 from deep in 32 minutes of play.
But he had cleared it in every game prior and shot a combined 7-for-16 from deep in Los Angeles’ two home games.
On the whole, Powell has had a fantastic year. The former Toronto Raptor posted career-highs in 3-pointers made (3.0) and attempted (7.1) per game. That 41.8% clip was the 17th-best in the NBA.
Denver allowed the third-most 3-pointers per game to shooting guards this season (3.66).
This seems like a great spot for him to get back in the saddle.
Braun over 7.5 rebounds and assists (-109): Braun isn’t the flashiest player, but he gets big minutes for the Nuggets and was instrumental in their past two wins.
- Game 4: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
- Game 5: 11 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists
Playing 38.4 minutes a night, I love his chances of stuffing the stat sheet again. The shooting guard had seven rebounds/assists in Game 3 and eight in Game 2.
Since the start of April, he’s averaging 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists (10.0 RA) and is 7-4 against this line.
Nuggets vs. Clippers predictions made at 9:00 a.m. ET 05/01/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.