NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game 3 Best Bets

The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers best-of-seven series is set to shift to Tinsel Town, with the Nuggets holding a 2-0 series edge.

All odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Even though the Nuggets have gotten the results and taken a convincing 2-0 series lead, the games have been very close, and home court has played a significant factor in how these games have played out. The Nuggets and Lakers are undefeated on their home floor in the 2023 NBA playoffs, which factors into how we view this essential Game 3 tonight. With the series shifting to LA, the Lakers are now favorites on the moneyline and spread. LA is priced at -230 on the moneyline, while the Nuggets sit at +190. In addition, the Lakers are listed as 5.5-point home favorites on the spread, which is right around what the Nuggets were listed at on their home court. 

The current lines in this game ultimately begs the question, how important is a home court in this series and in the NBA in general? It’s hard to say it doesn’t matter with the results these teams have shown us. It’s an advantage, but LA proved they can keep games tight on the road. 

This series has been much tighter than many might think if they just looked at the box score. Knowing that we like the Nuggets to find a way to keep this close and cover the 5.5-point spread. In saying that, we also like for the Lakers to pick up the victory at home, meaning if you parlay those two numbers together, you get an attractive price of +380. 

Best Bet: Nuggets +5.5 (-106)+Lakers moneyline (-230) Parlayed Together at +380

During the regular season, these teams faced off four times and scored 209, 231, 234, and 231 points, respectively. Game 1 of this matchup saw them combine for 258 points, while Game 2 saw them tally 211. It was hard to see them matching the explosive shooting effort we saw in Game 1 again, and that sentiment proved correct in Game 2. The total for Game 3 is 222.5, with the over and under priced at -110. Both teams had a chance to form adjustments in Game 2, and we expect a similar result tonight in Game 3. As a result, there’s value present in looking toward the under 222.5 at -110. 

Best Bet: Under 222.5 (-110) 

Let’s get one thing straight if the Los Angeles Lakers want to win Game 3, they will need the best out of their superstar talents, specifically Anthony Davis. When Davis is playing at his peak, he gives the Lakers a unique element that is extremely difficult to stop. In the first two games of this series, we’ve seen both sides of Davis. In Game 1, he was electric and tallied 40 points, but followed that up with a disappointing 18 in Game 2. Davis will need to be at his best tonight, and we expect him to deliver, meaning there’s merit in backing him to go over 24.5 points tonight at -128. 

Best Prop: Anthony Davis to Record Over 24.5 Points (-128)