NBA Playoffs Western Conference: Warriors vs Nuggets Betting Preview for Game 3

NBA action is back on Thursday night when the Golden State Warriors travel to Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado to take on the Denver Nuggets. The Warriors earned the third seed in the Western Conference winning 53 games in the regular season and showcased their dominance at home with two strong victories, outscoring the Nuggets by 36 points.

Denver will look to shake off their poor performance after struggling to get the ball in the basket in their first two games. With Jamal Murray out and Nikola Jokic receiving all the attention, they’ll need someone else to step up to keep this series competitive. That being said, let’s see how these teams stack up for game three so you can get all set to bet against their NBA Playoffs Odds.

NBA Playoffs Western Conference Game Three – Warriors at Denver

Golden State Warriors Betting Preview: Warriors Dominate Nuggets, Take 2-0 Lead

The Golden State Warriors have gotten off to an electric start thanks to Stephen Curry who scored 34 points off the bench after missing a month due to a foot injury, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 126-106 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, taking a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.

Despite Curry being the face of the Warriors, the X-factor for this team has been Jordan Poole. After scoring 29 points in game two of this series, he now has the second-most points scored in the first two career playoff games in Warriors history, with 59 total points. After taking over starting point guard duties, Poole has been nothing short of fantastic. He isn’t afraid to put points on the board, and he is completely destroying Denver’s defense. He’s also lightning quick with the ball in his hands, as evidenced by his eight assists in game two.

The Warriors should keep emphasizing ball movement and pressuring the Nuggets to chase down the ball on defense. They want to see Jokic sitting on the bench with his hands on his hips. Denver’s offense is struggling right now, and their defense hasn’t worried anyone all season. Look for the Warriors to continue to bring the offensive firepower.

Denver Nuggets Betting Preview: Jokic Slowed Down By Warriors Defense

With both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. out, the Nuggets were always going to face an uphill battle against the Western Conference’s No. 3-ranked club. Nikola Jokic has been tasked to do it all for the Nuggets and something has to change. Jokic became so enraged late in the fourth quarter in game two that he was ejected from the game after receiving his second technical for disputing a foul call with the officials.

Golden State’s offense is unstoppable, and Denver’s defense has been a disaster this season. When they’re on the road, opponents have a 47.9% shooting percentage against them. Their perimeter defense has been solid, but they’re up against a team with two renowned 3-point shooters who eat 3-pointers for breakfast.

Denver will need someone to step up to help Jokic bear the offensive load if it wants to have a chance in this series or at the very least avoid a four-game sweep. Because seven points from Aaron Gordon, 12 points from Will Barton, and 12 points from Monte Morris aren’t going to cut it against the Warriors’ high-powered offense.

Betting Odds and Lines

MyBookie has the Warriors listed as the -2.5 point road favorites in this matchup, while the total number of points is at 224.5 in the latest odds.

Free Betting Pick

The Warriors have thrashed the Nuggets series despite Steph Curry barely cracking 20 minutes per contest. Jordan Poole is demonstrating that he is more than a part-time player and The Warriors’ 22-year-old guard is playing like a long-lost splash brother and future NBA All-Star. With their consistent ball movement and a lot of switching, the Warriors will continue to annoy Jokic and the Nuggets’ faltering defense.

Denver was already outmanned and outgunned on the court heading into this series and Nikola Jokic appeared to be very fatigued at moments during the series, culminating into an ejection in the fourth quarter of game two. To make matters worse, the Nuggets haven’t been great at home, going 15-26 ATS as the home team this year. After two dominant wins, 2.5 points is a steal for the Warriors regardless of playing on the road.

MyBookie Free Pick: Warriors -2.5

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