Game Information:
- How to Watch: ABC
- Game Date: 5/18/23
- Game Time: 8:30 P.M. ET
- Arena: Crypto.com
- Series 2-0 Nuggets
Series Odds:
- Nuggets odds to win the series (-450)
- Lakers odds to win the series (+350)
Game 2 Odds:
- Moneyline: Nuggets (+185), Lakers (-215)
- Spread: Nuggets +5.5 (-110), Lakers -5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 223.5- Over (-110), Under (-110)
Betting Trends:
- The Nuggets are 21-25 ATS this year on the road
- The Lakers have covered the spread 56.8% of the time after a loss which ranks 6th in the NBA
- The Lakers are 5-0 ATS after a loss this playoff
- The Lakers are 6-0 ATS at home this playoff
- The Lakers are 6-0 straight up at home this playoff
- The under has hit 4 out of 5 times after a Lakers loss this playoff
- The Nuggets are 2-3 ATS and straight up on the road this playoff
Game 3 Predictions:
The Nuggets won game 2 against the Lakers after a huge 4th quarter from Jamal Murray. He started slow but had 23 out of his 37 points in the 4th quarter to help hold off the Lakers and take a 2-0 series lead to Los Angeles. Nikola Jokic had a great game with 23 points, 12 assists, and 17 rebounds, but the problem for the Lakers is that they couldn’t figure out how to stop Jamal Murray while only shooting 8 out of 30 from 3 (26.7%). If they want to get back in this series, they will have to shoot better from 3 and figure out a way to slow down Jamal Murray.
Moving onto game 3, the Lakers might not be in a great position, but there is hope. In NBA history, only 6 teams out of 56 have come back to win the conference finals after being down. 2-0, and two out of the six teams to do it have been by Lebron James teams in 2007 and 2018. Game 3 for the Lakers is a must-win because no team has returned from down 3-0 in the history of the NBA. That being said, you are going to see the Lakers’ best effort on Saturday, and more good news for the Lakers is that they play much better at home than on the road. They are 9-0 in their last 9 home games dating back to early April. The Lakers are much better defensively at home than on the road. On average, the give up 119.4 points on the road compared to 113.8 points at home which is almost a 6-point difference. Denver, on the other hand, averages 119.4 points per game at home, but only 112.2 points per game on the road. That’s a 7-point difference, which could turn out to be huge in this series.
My prediction is that the Lakers come out hot and buckle down defensively early to set the tone. I don’t see Jamal Murray performing like he did in games 1 and 2, where he averaged 34 points. The Lakers are fighting for their life, and I think they win this one comfortably. My final score prediction is the Lakers winning 120-108
Best Bet:
My best bet? (Lakers -5.5).
My best bet is for the Lakers to cover the 5.5-point spread. Even though they did lose the first two games, they were both winnable, and the Lakers are a different team at home this playoff. They are 6-0 ATS at home during this playoff run, and overall they are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. And in addition to that, they are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games against the Lakers. Take the Lakers to cover. Whether you believe me or not, place your first $5 bet to get $150 in Bonus Bets with my friends at the FanDuel Sportsbook.