Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round series between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz tips off Friday, at 4 p.m. ET in the Orlando bubble. Utah tied the series with Wednesday’s 124-105 victory in Game 2. We analyze the Nuggets-Jazz NBA betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Nuggets vs. Jazz: Key injuries
Nuggets
- SG Will Barton (knee) out
- SF Vlatko Cancar (foot) out
- SG Gary Harris (hip) out
Jazz
- SF Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) out
- PG Mike Conley (birth of a child) probable
- C Ed Davis (knee) out
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with an NBA bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!
Nuggets vs. Jazz: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 2:05 p.m. ET.
Prediction
Nuggets 110, Jazz 107
Moneyline (ML)
Series odds:
- Nuggets (-176)
- Jazz (+145)
While the return of Conley is ultimately a good thing for the Jazz (-106), I think it hurts them in Game 2 against the Nuggets (-115). G Joe Ingles, G Donovan Mitchell and C Rudy Gobert are killing Denver in the pick-and-roll. Utah is averaging the most points per possession.
By returning to the lineup, Conley will take the ball out of their hands and impede the recent flow of the Jazz’s offense. In this series, Ingles is at 18.2 usage %, but in the regular season—when Conley played in two of three meetings (both losses)—Ingles was only getting 10.9 usage %.
Mitchell is getting whatever he wants against the Nuggets. He’s averaging 43.5 points, 5 rebounds and 7.5 assists through two games of the series on .617% field-goal shooting and .545% 3-point shooting. Also, Utah’s second-leading scorer this series is SG Jordan Clarkson, and he needs looks to get in a rhythm. Conley being back takes the ball out of these guys’ hands.
The Nuggets were a favorite at (-189) in Game 2 and Conley is NOT worth 74 cents on the dollar. Bet NUGGETS (-115).
New to sports betting? A $115 bet on the Nuggets will pay a $100 profit if Denver beats Utah.
Also see:
- Denver Nuggets rumors (HoopsHype)
- Utah Jazz rumors (HoopsHype)
- HoopsHype – The latest NBA coverage
Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
PASS. The line is Denver -1 (-110). There’s no point in laying a point either way. Just bet who you like in this game.
Over/Under (O/U)
My projection says the UNDER 217.5 (-110) will win by a half-point so I am only a “LEAN” here. The Over has cashed in three straight Nuggets-Jazz games, but the Under is 19-7 in the last 26 meetings overall. The Jazz’s defense is more stout and pace a little slower with Conley returning to the lineup.
Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1368]