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Jeremy Perry
Clippers vs. Nuggets Game 3 Prediction: NBA Playoff Odds, Point Spread
The Denver Nuggets were able to prove that they belong after winning Game 2 in their series with the Los Angeles Clippers. After losing by 23 points in Game 1, they stormed back with a 110-101 win to tie this series at 1-1. The Clippers didn’t play their best first half, falling behind by 19 after the first, and they were unable to close the gap the rest of the way. They never held a lead in Game 2 but are looking to step up their performance heading into Game 3.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The over is 7-1 in the Nuggets’ past eight games after an against the spread (ATS) victory. The over is also 10-3 in their last 13 games while coming in as the underdog. Denver is 4-1 ATS in their last five games when coming in the as the underdog.
The over has been 4-0 in the Clippers last four games following a straight up loss. However, the under is 7-0 in their last seven Monday games. Overall, the Clippers are just 4-10 ATS in their last 14 meetings against this Denver team.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers started off incredibly slow and put themselves in a very deep hole quickly in the contest. However, they did slowly chip away at the Nuggets lead but their efforts weren’t enough as they still lost by nine points. Kawhi Leonard did not play a very good game at all in Game 2, only scoring 13 points on 23 percent shooting. Overall, the Clippers entire team shot poorly, as the team was only able to muster 40.9 percent shooting.
For the most part, the Clippers probably aren’t too worried. Leonard doesn’t often go 4-of-17 from the field, while Paul George (7-of-19) and Lou Williams (6-of-16) can be much more efficient. Even with such a poor shooting night, they only lost by nine, so if they do slightly better in Game 3, they’ll get back on track.
Denver Nuggets
Denver was able to control Game 2 from the start and never let their foot off the gas. They held the lead for the entire length of the game and were up by as many as 23 points. They were yet again led by their dynamic duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, with Murray scoring 27 and Jokic adding 26 points and 18 rebounds. They were also able to get solid contributions from Gary Harris and Paul Millsap as well, both of whom scored 13 points each.
This Nuggets team definitely believes in themselves and each other, and that will be key in trying to upset a loaded Clippers team. The other key is the defense, which held the Clippers to just 101 points. The Clippers scored 120 in Game 1 while shooting 57.1 percent from the field, so this was a big turnaround by the Nuggets defensively.
LAC
DEN