Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, March 22

Sunday’s NBA action begins with a 5 p.m. EST meeting between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets.

Portland dropped the last meeting between these teams by 54 points, but they’re 1-1 against each other this season, as both squads jostle for playoff position in the Western Conference. Portland is currently on a three-game winning streak, jumping the Golden State Warriors for the No. 9 seed in the West.

Meanwhile, Denver holds the No. 5 seed in the conference and is three full games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 3 seed. On the bright side, Denver has a four-game cushion on the No. 7-seeded Phoenix Suns, a sign that it should avoid the play-in tournament this season.

Oddsmakers have set the Nuggets as sizable favorites at home, as they’re expected to get a key part of their rotation back on Sunday. Peyton Watson (questionable) is expected to return after missing over six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Denver's Peyton Watson is expected to return Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing 6+ weeks due to a hamstring strain, sources tell ESPN. Watson has had a breakout year for the Nuggets, averaging career highs of 14.9 points, 30.7 minutes and 4.9 rebounds to go…
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 21, 2026

Denver is hoping it can stay healthy heading into the playoffs, especially since it still has title expectations with Nikola Jokic playing at an MVP level.

Can Denver hold off a surging Blazers team to inch closer to a top-three seed?

Here’s a look at the odds, a player to watch in the prop market and my prediction for Sunday’s matchup.

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Blazers +8.5 (-110)
Nuggets -8.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Blazers: +285
Nuggets: -360

Total

241.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Ball Arena
How to Watch (TV): NBA TV
Blazers record: 35-36
Nuggets record: 43-28

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Injury Reports

Blazers Injury Report

Jerami Grant – questionable
Vit Krejci – questionable
Damian Lillard – out
Caleb Love – out
Hansen Yang – out
Shaedon Sharpe – out
Chris Youngblood – out

Nuggets Injury Report

Peyton Watson – questionable
DaRon Holmes II – available
Curtis Jones – available
KJ Simpson – available

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bets

Nuggets Best NBA Prop Bet

Nikola Jokic OVER 27.5 Points (-110)

The Blazers have a solid center rotation with Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III, but it hasn’t been enough to slow down Jokic this season. The three-time league MVP scored 32 points in less than 30 minutes in the 54-point blowout between these teams the last time they played, and he scored 21 points on just 10 shots in their first meeting.

The Blazers rank 17th in the league in opponent points in the paint per game, making this a pretty solid matchup for Jokic, who is averaging 28.1 points per game this season while shooting 57.4 percent from the field.

Denver needs every win it can get down the stretch of this season, and it did hang 157 points on the Blazers the last time these teams played. That should be a positive sign for Jokic as he tries to reach his season average on Sunday.

Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets Prediction and Pick

Denver blew out Portland by 54 points the last time these teams played, and it finally has a healthy rotation with Watson (hamstring) making his return to the lineup on Sunday.

The Nuggets have not been great at home compared to previous seasons, as they’re just 20-13 straight up and 12-13 against the spread when favored. However, the Blazers have struggled as road dogs all season, going 9-11 against the numbers while posting an average scoring margin of -11.3 points per game.

The Blazers have won three games in a row, but I believe this is a sell-high spot with Shaedon Sharpe still out of the lineup. Portland’s offense has been shaky all season (23rd in offensive rating) and now it’s taking on the No. 1 offense in the NBA with all of its weapons back in action.

The Nuggets are also a top-seven team in net rating this season while the Blazers are just 20th (-2.0). While I don’t expect another 50-point blowout, I do think Denver wins comfortably in this matchup.

Pick: Nuggets -8.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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