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The Denver Nuggets will face the Phoenix Suns Sunday evening in Game 4, with Denver holding a 2-1 lead in the series. Tipoff from Footprint Center in Phoenix is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the game will air on TNT.
The Suns are 2.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the total comes in at 227.5. Here’s a look at the officiating crew and how their record might impact bettors for this game.
Tony Brothers will serve as the crew chief for this game, with Ed Malloy sliding in as the referee. Jacyn Goble will be the umpire, while Justin Van Duyne is listed as the alternate.
The home team has won three times in the eight playoff games Brothers has officiated as crew chief. The average total is 217.5, and home teams get called a bit more for fouls. In three playoffs games with Malloy as a crew member, the home team has won twice and the average total is 225.3. Goble has just two postseason games under his belt, with the average total coming in at 240.5.
The Nuggets might be a good underdog to back here with Brothers as crew chief, and the under could be in play for the total. Bettors would be going against some trends with those two picks but the officiating stats make a compelling case.