The No. 2-seed Phoenix Suns toppled the defending NBA champion Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. They now face an even tougher test against the Denver Nuggets and likely MVP Nikola Jokic. NBA betting sites have the Suns as favorites to advance at -220, while third-seed Denver is +175 on the moneyline to pull off the upset.

The Suns were the surprise story of the NBA Bubble in 2020, going 8-0 before missing out on a chance at the playoffs. The team added Chris Paul in the offseason to bring veteran stability to the locker room and playmaking on the court.

Phoenix never let up in 2021, beating both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers to win the Pacific Division. Phoenix then took a giant step forward in the playoffs by dethroning the champion Lakers, handing LeBron James his first-ever first-round playoff exit after 15 appearances.

Nuggets superstar Jokic leads his team into this Western Conference showdown. He powered Denver to a 14-point comeback in the second half of their 126-115 series-clinching win over Portland in Game 6 of their first-round playoff matchup.

Nuggets vs. Suns Series Odds

Odds via DraftKings ➜ and current as of publication.

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Suns vs. Nuggets Series Betting Tips

Momentum Meets Momentum

The Suns and Nuggets both scored impressive road wins to close out their first-round series. The Suns scorched the Lakers at Staples Center by rocketing to a 36-14 lead after 12 minutes on their way to an easy 113-100 win. Denver wrapped up its first-round series at Portland with a furious second-half comeback.

The Suns eliminated the defending champions. The Nuggets prevented Damian Lillard from forcing a Game 7. Both feats were impressive, and both teams enter this series on equal footing in terms of momentum, so don’t bother using that for an edge when looking at NBA odds.

Nuggets Held Regular-Season Advantage

Phoenix and Denver met only three times during the regular season, with the Nuggets earning a 2-1 edge. Denver won both ends of a back-to-back in Phoenix on Jan. 22-23. Jokic led the Nuggets in scoring in both of those wins, with 31 and 29 points.

Jamal Murray hit the eventual game-winner in overtime in the first game, and then hit a jumper to force OT in the second. The first win over Phoenix pushed the Nuggets over .500 for the first time all season and they have not looked back. But on the subject of Murray, we have to discuss how injuries will impact this series.

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One X-Factor

The Nuggets have been without their top guard in Murray since he tore the ACL in his left knee on April 12. Before his injury, Murray led the Nuggets in scoring a dozen times over the season, including a 50-point effort against Cleveland. The Nuggets then lost shooting guard Will Barton to a hamstring strain two weeks later.

While Jokic remains an unstoppable force, the Suns proved they can handle the solo-act superstar by holding James under 30 points in all six games of their series against the Lakers. The Suns relied on shooting guard Devin Booker to KO the champs – he had 47 points in the finale of the Lakers series.

The gap between the Suns’ backcourt and what’s left of the Nuggets’ backcourt is cavernous, especially with the ailing Chris Paul only being asked to play a supporting role.

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Suns Vs Nuggets Series Picks

At the start of the season, NBA title odds had the Suns available at +6000. Those odds have dramatically tumbled at all top sportsbooks, and they are now +800 with William Hill and as low as +600 at DraftKings.

Sports betting sites have Phoenix as favorite to prevail in a long series. The Suns have gone 47-15, including the postseason, since their two straight losses to Denver in January. Booker has been their leading scorer 31 times. The Nuggets don’t appear to have the personnel to contain him without giving up too much elsewhere.

But what about Jokic? His supporting cast will be overwhelmed by the speed, ball movement and outright stone-cold shooting of the Suns. This postseason is quickly becoming Devin Booker's NBA coming-out party for fans outside the Southwest. Booker even got LeBron’s blessing (or at least his jersey) after beating the Lakers.

The Suns continue to rise and they won’t be eclipsed by their Mile High foes in this round. Get on the Suns to advance (-215 with FanDuel), and to be more specific, get on the Suns in six games (+400).

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Suns Vs Nuggets Series Schedule, TV

Game 1: Monday, June 7, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)

Games 2-4: TBD

Games 5-7: TBD (if necessary)