NBA Playoffs 2025: Nuggets vs Clippers First Round Betting Preview

In perhaps the most compelling first-round matchup of all in the 2025 NBA playoffs, the No. 4 Denver Nuggets and No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers will battle it out in a best-of-seven series which kicks off on Saturday, April 19 at Ball Arena at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Check out Odds Shark's preview for this highly-anticipated Western Conference showdown, complete with betting odds, matchup histories, and final predictions. 

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Series Winner Odds

Odds courtesy of Sportsbook; Accurate as of April 15, 2025

As of writing, and not knowing the betting odds of the other two matchups in each conference with the play-in tournament ongoing, the Nuggets are currently the only team possessing home-court advantage to be listed as an underdog. In fairness, both Denver and Los Angeles finished with identical 50-32 records during the regular season, with the former eking out the fourth seed as a result of having a greater record against West opponents since the 2-2 season split was rendered moot. 

The Nuggets and Sacramento Kings were the only teams to rank with a top-10 offense but bottom-third defense, while the Clippers came back from the All-Star break to close out the campaign with a fourth-best offense (119.7 points per 100 possessions) over their last 28 games.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Series Schedule

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Spread/Total Betting History

Los Angeles was one of just six teams to finish with a record worse than .500 in the OVER/UNDER market at 39-41-2, while Denver was third overall at 49-33. That success essentially flipped as it pertains to covering the spread, as the Clippers were 47-35 ATS compared to the Nuggets who were 38-43-1. 

A 109-104 win on Oct. 26 was the first time Los Angeles had prevailed in the Mile High City since Christmas Day 2020.

(Related) 2025 NBA Playoff Series Prices

Denver Nuggets Player To Watch: Russell Westbrook

Whether fair or not, Russell Westbrook's name has been tossed around as of late as perhaps playing a part in the unceremonious firing of now former head coach Michael Malone. Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Ramona Shelburne, tensions may have arisen from Malone inserting the former league Most Valuable Player into the starting lineup earlier in the season as Christian Braun got sent to the bench, even though the combination of Westbrook and Nikola Jokic had proven to be slightly better in net rating (+11.4) over Braun and Jokic at the time (+11.3). 

Of the six leading scorers on the Nuggets, Westbrook finished with the only negative plus-minus rating of the group at -0.3. The team allowed 4.9 fewer points per 100 possessions whenever the veteran guard sat, as well, although Westbrook has never been known as a defensive threat and has long made a name for himself as an athletic triple-double machine. 

The leash may be a smidge shorter for Westbrook in this series because of his defensive limitations. He also shot below 40 percent from the field over his last 15 outings and averaged 3.9 turnovers, so unless he's filling up the box score and not giving up the rock, even with Denver needing his depth, the 36-year-old may need to sit more than he's accustomed to. 

Los Angeles Clippers Player To Watch: Ivica Zubac

No one can truly contain Jokic. If he wants to flip the switch into god mode and put up an historic triple-double on a whim, he can absolutely do that. Los Angeles at least has someone big and strong enough defensively to try and impede his progress, and he's undoubtedly a top-three interior defender across the league in the 7-foot Ivica Zubac.

He finished second overall in defensive win shares (4.7), third in defensive rating (107.8), and fifth in total rebound percentage (21.8) for a defense which rallied to finish third overall at 109.4 points allowed per 100 possessions. It's those numbers which vaulted Zubac into serious consideration for Defensive Player of the Year accolades in what was a career year for him.

Averaging a double-double of 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds on 62.8 percent shooting is impressive no matter which angle you view it at. It won't strike terror in the fearless Jokic, mind you, but when they start banging down low and the games get physical, the best in the world could end up dreading the fact that Denver didn't end up pairing off with a smaller lineup like the Los Angeles Lakers, for example.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Series Prediction Result: Series Goes Distance, Home Team Wins Each Game (+1800)

The aforementioned fact concerning the Clippers' lack of victories in Denver over the past several years should make anyone believe that stealing a game on the road will be difficult. 

This matchup has the vibe of one which will need seven games, and if that's indeed true, it's always wise to A) lean towards the team with home-court advantage in a do-or-die Game 7, and B) pick the team with the best player, that being Jokic. That's even taking into account the clear-cut coaching advantage Los Angeles has with Tyronn Lue on the sidelines, while who knows how David Adelman will fare under such pressure.

The perpetually injured Kawhi Leonard has proven he can stay healthy (knock on wood), and he enters this series looking like the man who lifted the Toronto Raptors to a championship in 2019. He hasn't scored fewer than 20 points in a game since March 9, has averaged a healthy 35.5 minutes over his last 15 games, and is knocking down shots at a high rate (55.2 percent from the field and 49.2 percent from 3-point range over that span).

This wager, however, insinuates that the Nuggets will still prevail in the end. While the Clippers appear to have more help around their superstar on paper, Denver's supporting cast can't be underestimated. While having never been an All-Star, Jamal Murray consistently shows out in the postseason with a reputation which precedes him, and Aaron Gordon could be a factor defensively in "attempting" to hinder Leonard, which is easier said than done. 

This series going less than seven games would be surprising, and betting on the home team to win each time is both fun and extremely profitable at 18-to-1 odds. It's worth the risk.

2025 NBA Playoff Previews

Eastern Conference

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