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NBA Playoff Odds: Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 3

Written by Jimmy Boyd

nugs-mavs-gm-3-5709 Down 0-2 to the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks return home in what is basically a do-or-die Game 3 when you consider the history. The two Western Conference powers should be nice and fresh when they face off Saturday, May 9th at 5:00 pm EST on ESPN having not played since Tuesday. NBA odds makers aren’t expecting to see a sweep, listing the Dallas Mavericks as 4-point favorites with the total set at 209.

Heading into the playoffs, most would have considered the Nuggets a soft No. 2 seed, but they are proving that they are anything but soft. The Nuggets are now 6-1 straight up and 7-0 against the spread in the postseason with all six of their wins coming by double digits. The Nuggets are just 1-1 on the road in the postseason and finished at 21-20 away from home during the regular season. So they are definitely a more vulnerable team away from home. But after losing Game 3 in their first round series by two points in New Orleans, the Nuggets exploded in Game 4 with one of the greatest performances in NBA Playoff history – a 121-63 massacre. The Nuggets know they will likely get Dallas’ best shot of the series Saturday night, unless their is a Game 7, so they cannot afford to come out flat. The Nuggets are as talented an offensive team as there is in the NBA, but winning Game 3 has everything to do with defense. Prior to Game 2, the Nuggets had not allowed a team over 95 points in the playoffs, and it will likely take another superb defensive effort to bury the Mavs in a 0-3 hole. Denver allowed 100.1 points per game on the road during the regular season and that is why it was such an up and down road team. If you expect Denver to bring the “D”, bet the Nuggets at +4 at BetUS and receive up to 145 percent in sign up bonuses.

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Dallas lost Games 1 and 2 on the road as it was only an 18-23 road team during the regular season. Dallas should present a much tougher challenge for the Nuggets at home where it is 34-9 on the season. Dallas may have to go to battle without star forward Josh Howard who came up so big time and time again in the San Antonio series. Howard left Game 2 with an ankle injury after playing just six minutes and is listed as questionable Saturday. If Howard is not able to go, the Mavs must look for additional scoring elsewhere. Dirk Nowitzky has certainly showed up in this series, coming off a 35-point performance in Game 2. We can expect Jason Terry to get more minutes if Howard can’t go, and he should be good for at least 20 points, but the Mavs will need big production from a third, if not fourth, guy. That puts the pressure on future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and J.J. Barea, who was pivotal in the San Antonio series, to step up. If you think Dallas has what it takes to bounce back strong in Game 3, bet the Mavericks at -4 at BetUS.

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