Nikola Jokic posted 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Denver Nuggets in their Game 2 win over Minnesota, but he was not the headliner for once. Jamal Murray put up 40 points, his best scoring mark in the playoffs at Ball Arena, and Michael Porter Jr put up 16, with 13 coming in the fourth quarter of a game that saw Denver blow a 21-point lead and enter the fourth quarter trailing by two. The Nuggets ended up pulling away late for a 122-13 win, and now the Nuggets have a commanding 2-0 series lead heading to Minnesota for Game 3. We have your NBA betting preview for this Friday night showdown as you plan out your weekend wagering.
NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Quarterfinal Preview
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves, Game 3
When: Friday, April 21, 2023, 9:30 pm ET
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
TV: ESPN
Radio: KKSE 92.5 FM Denver / WCCO 830 AM Minneapolis
Live Stream: Sling TV
NBA Odds: Denver -2.5 / O/U 222.5 // Denver -135 / Minnesota +110
Why should you bet on the Denver Nuggets?
Denver rolled to a 29-point rout in Game 1 and was on cruise control again in Game 2, getting as far ahead as 21 before they let up on the gas a bit and the Timberwolves caused them to wake up just in time. The Timberwolves only managed 80 points in Game 1 before pushing back hard in Game 2, but the Nuggets should have gotten the lesson they needed about maintaining intensity without losing a game.
Jamal Murray looks like he has returned to his 2020 postseason form, when he put up 50 points in multiple games in the “bubble” postseason; he shot 51% overall in those playoffs and 45% from behind the three-point arc. In Game 2, he shot 59% overall and found his way to the free throw line nine times. Also, the Nuggets have won two games without a huge night from Nikola Jokic, who had 29 triple-doubles in the regular season but remained a board and an assist away from his first in these playoffs. These are all trends that point in the Nuggets’ favor.
Bet on the Nuggets!
Why should you put your money on the Timberwolves?
Minnesota beat Denver twice at home this season, scoring more than 120 points in each victory. However, they need to find their defense after giving up 122 points in Game 2. That defense did hold the Nuggets to just 98 points in one of those wins, but they need to learn lessons from the fourth quarter in Game 2, when they started up two but permitted 35 points while only scoring 24.
Anthony Edwards was a bright spot in Game 2, dropping 41 points on the Nuggets and shooting 61% overall on the night. The Nuggest have had a hard time stopping opposing wings all season long, and Edwards made them pay for that trend in Game 2, whether it involved knocking down threes or attacking the rim. If he can keep that kind of onslaught up against the Nuggets in Game 3, the Timberwolves have a real shot at halving this series deficit.
Bet on the Twolves!
Final Score and Prediction
The Timberwolves did improve in Game 2, figuring out how to solve the Nuggets’ defense to some degree, but they couldn’t maintain that effort for long enough to get that win on the road. In front of their own fans, though, they should be able to at least split the games at home. I predict a final score of Minnesota 115, Denver 111.
Jamal Murray (40 pts) vs Anthony Edwards (41 pts) In Game 2!
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