Basketball

Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers NBA Playoffs Game 3 Preview

 
The Denver Nuggets look to recover home court advantage when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers in a very important Game 3 of their first round series. The Trail Blazers rolled 123-109 in Game 1, with Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Carmelo Anthony combining for 73 points. The Nuggets got back on track in Game 2, 128-109 behind 38 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Nikola Jokic.

After scoring 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting (4 of 8 from 3-point range) in 22 minutes off the bench in Game 1, Melo had just five points on 1-for-5 from the field (1-for-4 from beyond the arc) in Game 2. Anthony is the X-factor for the Trail Blazers, they won’t win this series unless he provides a spark off the bench. Game 3 will be on Thursday at 10:30 PM ET at the Moda Center in Portland.

Dafabet Picks

Team to Win (Regular Time)
• Denver Nuggets: 2.47
• Portland Trail Blazers: 1.60

Spread
• Denver Nuggets: +4.5 (1.96)
• Portland Trail Blazers: -4.5 (1.86)

Total
• Over 228.5 (1.90)
• Under 228.5 (1.90)

Key Points to Consider

The Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win, 1-4 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning straight up record and 1-5 ATS in their last six games playing on two days rest.

The Trail Blazers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss,4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning straight up record and 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as a favorite.

The Over is 6-2 in Denver’s last eight games overall and 7-3 in Portland’s last 10 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.

The Portland bench outscored the Denver reserves 34-20 in Game 1 but they scored just 21 points in Game 2, led by Melo’s five. The Trail Blazers can’t have their best scorer off the bench finish with just five points, they need a lot more from players like Enes Kanter, Anfernee Simons and Derrick Jones Jr.

Projected Leaders

For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic is projected to finish with 21.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists, making 8.1 field goals in 14.8 attempts.

For the Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard is expected to score 29.6 points with 7.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds, making 8.8 field goals in 19.1 attempts.

Analyst’s Pick

Trail Blazers -4.5.

Four-star (out of four) AccuScore hot trend pick on the Portland Trail Blazers in this one. Average score in simulations is Portland Trail Blazers 121.1 to Denver Nuggets 113.2.

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Champions League, World Cup and many more.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Valencia pleads with La Liga for postponement of game against Real Madrid

Valencia have pleaded with the La Liga authorities to postpone its match with Real Madrid… Read More

October 31, 2024

Dubois gets permission to face new challenger

Daniel Dubois has been given the go-ahead from the International Boxing Federation (IBF) to fight… Read More

October 31, 2024

Manchester United faces a brick wall ahead of Amorim’s appointment

Manchester United has seen their attempt to appoint Rúben Amorim as Erik ten Hag's successor… Read More

October 31, 2024

Randal Kolo Muani set to leave PSG

Reports have emanated from France that Randal Kolo Muani could leave Paris Saint-Germain for as… Read More

October 31, 2024

Dortmund chief Sebastian Kehl drums support for Nuri Sahin despite early season woes

Nuri Sahin has come under fire after Borussia Dortmund's start this term, but has received… Read More

October 31, 2024

Chet Holmgren Shines as Thunder Defeat Spurs, Besting Rival Victor Wembanyama

In an early showdown between two of the NBA’s most promising young big men, Chet… Read More

October 31, 2024