The Golden State Warriors will head to Ball Arena for Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. The Warriors have completely outplayed the Nuggets throughout the first two games, taking a 2-0 lead with back-to-back wins at home. The Nuggets will look for a crucial win in Game 3 to avoid going down 3-0 as MVP favorite Nikola Jokic will hope to turn up the heat in front of his home crowd.
The Warriors are 2-point favorites on the road, with moneyline odds at -130 at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Nuggets come in at +110 on the moneyline, and the point total is set at 223.
Warriors vs. Nuggets, 10:00 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Warriors -2
The Nuggets got off to a great start in Game 2, getting out to an early lead in the second quarter thanks to fantastic offensive play from Jokic and Will Barton. The tables turned pretty quickly as Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry caught fire, unable to miss a shot as the Warriors mounted a comeback and took the lead before halftime. There was no turning back for Golden State, as it gradually widened the gap and ended up winning by a 20-point margin. Curry scored 34 points off the bench, and did it in just 23 minutes on the floor. Poole ended up with 29 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
The Nuggets are still without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., who have both been out all season aside from the nine games Porter Jr. played at the start of the campaign. It feels a lot like Jokic is carrying this whole team on his back, and it’s going to take more than the reigning MVP to take down a lineup full of stars like Golden State.
Denver has only been an underdog at home seven times this season, going 2-5 ATS through those games. Expect the Dubs to continue their momentum with guys like Poole, Curry, and Klay Thompson playing at their absolute best. The Warriors should win and cover in this one.
Over/Under: Over 223
The Nuggets will continue to get the ball to Jokic as much as possible so he can attack in the paint, where he does his best offensive work. The Warriors could end up throwing extra bodies on the inside which could leave some players on the perimeter open, but Denver didn’t shoot too well through the first two games so it may not be much of an issue either way. If Jokic can exceed his 25 and 26-point performances from the first two games, combined with guys like Poole and Curry continuing with the hot hand, this game could easily hit over the total just like the first two.
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