Pick against the spread, over/under for Nuggets vs. Suns Game 3 on Friday

With a significant 2-0 lead to begin the series, the Western Conference semifinal between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns shifts to the Footprint Center on Friday, May 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.

For the Nuggets, guard Collin Gillespie (leg) is expected to be sidelined until the middle of May with a reported fracture. For the Suns, Chris Paul (groin) is likely to miss multiple games after leaving Phoenix’s Game 2 loss in the third quarter. The 37-year-old is currently listed as questionable, though recent reports suggest he will indeed be sidelined for the near future.

At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Suns are four-point favorites and -180 on the moneyline, with the point total set at 224.5.

Nuggets vs. Suns, 10 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Suns -4

The 0-2 deficit, the injury to Paul, and the stakes at hand feel like a blowout win for the Suns is in order here. Phoenix cannot afford to go down 0-3 after swinging for the fences with the Kevin Durant trade, and it’s difficult to imagine the Suns going 6-for-31 from deep again as they did in the Game 2 loss. I would not be surprised to see both Durant and Booker go off for 25-plus points, setting up Phoenix to get a convincing double-digit win to wash away the bad taste of that Game 2 performance.

Over/Under: Under 224.5

I’m feeling skeptical of how well the Nuggets will perform on the road over these next two games, and their track record in the regular season warrants the unease. Denver went 19-22 on the road and the over/under was nearly split as well, with a 22-21 record away from home. In addition to the Suns’ offense getting back on point, I think Phoenix leverages the home crowd to display a level of tenacity on defense. With the Nuggets potentially struggling to score, this should set up the total to finish under.