NBA Betting – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Game 3

How does that saying go about playing with fire and getting burned? Well, that’s just what the Denver Nuggets are doing in the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe the Nuggets need to fall behind three games to one in the series since that’s when they play their best. If they want to do that, though, they need to win Game 3 on Tuesday night since no team in the history of the league has overcome a 3-0 series deficit. The Nuggets aren’t going to quit and neither is LeBron and Co. They got a dagger triple from Anthony Davis at the horn to subdue Denver in Game 2 to take a commanding lead in the series.  Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
Date and Time: Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 9 p.m. ET
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Opening NBA Odds: Lakers -6.5 / OU 213.5
Lakers vs. Nuggets TV Coverage: TNT

Odds Analysis

The opening spread of LA -6.5 for Game 3 is right in line with the previous two games, which the teams split against the line. It took a heroic three-pointer from AD in Game 2 to prevent the Lakers from losing outright. Denver has been a good bet during the playoffs going 9-3-1 ATS in the last 13 games. The only game the Nuggets were favored during that stretch was Game 7 of the Utah series when the 2-point line pushed in Denver’s 80-78 victory. The Lakers gave points in all their playoff encounters going 10-2 SU and 8-4 ATS.

Series Status

The Lakers got off to slow starts in their first two series losing Game 1 to Portland and Houston. They responded by sweeping the next four each time. The Lakers and AD made sure that wouldn’t happen against the Nuggets. Davis dropped 37 with 10 boards and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 18 as the Lakers shot 53 percent from the floor and led by as many as 27 points in their 126-114 Game 1 win. Davis again had the hot hand in Game 2 scoring LA’s final 10 points, including the game-winning triple as time expired to give the Lakers a 105-103 win and a 2-0 series lead. The teams have met six previous times in the postseason with LA winning every series by taking 23 of the 30 matchups.

Los Angeles Lakers

The new fad in the NBA of pairing superstars together is working for one team. The Lakers spent the entire season, which is now close to a year old, working to find the right pieces to work with Davis and James. It doesn’t really matter who they throw on the court since the duo can and has done it all. Davis has been the catalyst against Denver scoring 37 and 31 points, matching and outperforming Denver’s big man Nikola Jokic. The Lakers were on the verge of collapse in Game 2 before AD came to the rescue. After blowing a 16-point lead and falling behind late in the game, Davis hit his buzzer-beating three from the wing to get the win.

When your opponent knows what’s coming and still can’t stop it, you’re pretty good. There was no way Alex Caruso or KCP or Rajon Rondo was getting the ball in the final seconds. It could only be one of two guys. And those two guys have carried the Lakers all season. Only one pair of teammates scored more during the regular season than Davis and James, and they picked up their pace in the playoffs combining to average 54.3 points per game.

Denver Nuggets

We’ll see if the Nuggets have any more magic. They probably felt good about their chances coming back from a 16-point fourth quarter deficit in Game 2 to take the lead with 20 seconds left. Denver came back from double-digit disadvantages in each of the final three games against the Clippers ushering LA’s other team out of the Florida bubble. Something happened, though, on their way to leveling the series. That something was Davis, who scored LA’s final 10 points, including the dagger three.

It was a battle of big men down the stretch. Jokic one-upped AD by scoring Denver’s final 12 points, but he couldn’t get the ultimate prize. Jokic backed Davis down and hit a little jumper staking the Nuggets to a one point lead with 20.8 seconds remaining. Jokic tried in vain to defend Davis on the play, but he was too late getting to the ball. Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 55 points but hit just 23 percent of their three-pointers. The Nuggets need those two playing at a higher level while getting some contributions from the other guys to avoid a deeper hole.

Bet Lakers vs. Nuggets at BookMaker.eu

I can’t see the Lakers getting complacent after watching Denver storm back in the first two rounds. And LeBron is possessed with desire to get back to the NBA Finals while showing up the MVP voters who shook him off at the ballot box. He didn’t sound like a team player when asked about the voting, but it is motivation to get back to playing for a championship. There have been some close games between the teams and the way the Nuggets can rally, I’ll take the points.

NBA Score Prediction: Lakers 112, Nuggets 107

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com