Clippers vs. Nuggets Game 3 Prediction
With the series tied at one game apiece, the Clippers and Nuggets will square off again on Monday night at 9:00 p.m. ET from Lake Buena Vista in Florida for the NBA Western Conference semifinals. Will Denver hold its own again versus Kawhi and Co. tonight?
Game Snapshot
703 Los Angeles Clippers (-9) vs. 704 Denver Nuggets (+9); o/u 219.5
9:00 p.m. ET, Monday, September 7, 2020
TNT, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Lake Buena Vista, FL
NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals
Los Angeles Clippers DFS Spin
Kawhi Leonard finished Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets with 13 points (4-of-17 FGs, 5-of-7 FTs), 10 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one blocked shot in 39 minutes. After doing just about whatever he wanted in Game 1 Leonard found the going much tougher Saturday night, with Nuggets forward Jerami Grant deserving a lot of credit for that shift. Leonard is going to put up positive stats even if his shot isn’t falling, as evidenced by his finishing two assists shy of a triple-double. There should be no concerns when it comes to his fantasy value, but the Nuggets are better equipped to defend Leonard than Dallas was due to the presence of Grant and Gary Harris on the wings.
Denver Nuggets DFS Spin
Nikola Jokic shot 10-of-17 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over the Clippers, finishing with 26 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and four 3-pointers in 37 minutes. Jokic and Jamal Murray were excellent in a game that the Nuggets led from start to finish, evening the series at one game apiece. After struggling with the Clippers’ activity on both ends in the series opener Thursday night, Jokic looked a lot better in Game 2. He’s a near-guarantee for a double-double on most nights, and with his passing ability the Joker is more than capable of putting up the occasional triple-double.
Clippers vs. Nuggets Game 3 Betting Prediction
I backed the Nuggets in Game 1 when they failed to crack 100 in a 120-97 loss to the Clippers when they were 9.5-point underdogs but went back to the well in Game 2 when they won outright (110-101) as a 9-point pup. I thought the line was too high in both of those games and with the spread back at 9 for Game 3, I’m of the same opinion tonight. The Jokic (questionable, wrist) injury is a little concerning, but I’m assuming he’s going to play. If he does, then I’m confident the Nuggets will survive a renewed sense of urgency from the Clippers and stay within double digits. They may not take a 2-1 series lead with another outright upset, but I do see Denver keeping things tight throughout.
NBA PLAYOFFS WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS PREDICTION: DENVER NUGGETS +9