The Denver Nuggets head to San Antonio looking to take home court back from the Spurs in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series. San Antonio swiped the opener, 101-96, on Saturday, but then Denver evened the series on Tuesday, winning 114-105 behind 24 points from Jamal Murray. In that game, San Antonio led by as many as 19 points, up 78-59 late in the third quarter, but then Denver went on a 55-27 run to finish the game. Murray went 8 for 9 in the fourth quarter to bring home a win that the Nuggets desperately needed. San Antonio has to be satisfied after winning the first game and then leading for so much of Game 2, and now the series shifts to Texas. Don’t miss our NBA sports betting preview of this Western Conference showdown.
Nuggets vs Spurs NBA Playoffs Game 3 Odds, Preview & Prediction
PIVOTAL
Spurs 7:00 p.m. MT @AltitudeTV/@NBATV @AltitudeSR https://t.co/YU5KcvSqrr AltitudeNOW#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/YXlAAaq1GJ — Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 18, 2019
- When: Thursday, April 18, 2019, 9:00pm ET
- Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
- TV: NBA TV
- Radio: 92.5 FM Altitude Sports Denver / WOAI 1200 AM San Antonio
- Live Stream: ESPN+
- Opening NBA Odds: San Antonio -3.5 / O/U 210.5
Why should you bet on Denver?
In addition to Jamal Murray’s heroic fourth quarter, the Nuggets also got big games from Gary Harris (23 points), Nikola Jokic (21 points, 13 boards and eight assists), and Paul Millsap (20). Denver shot 48 percent from the floor, including 10 for 24 from behind the arc. If not for that fourth quarter comeback, though, things would be grim for Nugget fans today.
In the last 43 meetings between Denver and San Antonio, the road team has covered 29 times. However, Denver has only covered twice in their last seven games in San Antonio. If you like the Nuggets, you see that confidence from the fourth quarter carrying over despite the fact that Denver has covered just four times in their last 13 contests coming after a win — and just once in their last nine Western Conference quarterfinal matchups. The Nuggets are a young, talented team, and they have the players to get by the Spurs.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 110.54
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.54
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.02
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.28
- Total Rebounds: 46.33
Defense
- Total Score: 106.63
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.85
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.91
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.42
- Total Rebounds: 42.64
Why should you put your money on San Antonio?
The Spurs got a great game from DeMar DeRozan in GAme 2, as he went 11 for 19 from the floor, scoring 31 points in the process. LaMarcus Aldridge chipped in 24 points, going 8 for 20 from the floor, and Derrick White scored 17. However, no other San Antonio player managed more than eight points. The pair of 19-point leads that the Spurs had in the game simply could not hold, and once the Nuggets’ offense started rolling, San Antonio could not get the stops.
Now that the series moves down to the Lone Star State, the coaching acumen of Gregg Popovich, one of the best minds in the NBA, will take over as he finds adjustments to counter what Denver accomplished down the stretch in Game 2. San Antonio keeps finding ways to win despite an aging roster; they have covered in five of their last eight games against a team with a winning record. However, they have failed to cover in five straight home games and have covered just three times in their last 10 games overall. If you like San Antonio, you see the team reverting to what brought them success in the opener and stifling Murray — who struggled for the first three quarters of this series.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 111.45
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.82
- Three-Point Percentage: 39.16
- Free Throw Percentage: 81.81
- Total Rebounds: 44.79
Defense
- Total Score: 109.86
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.27
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.79
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.29
- Total Rebounds: 43.93
Nuggets vs Spurs NBA Betting Trends
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver’s last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Denver’s last 25 games
- Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
- San Antonio is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
- San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio’s last 8 games
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Denver has a young, feisty team — the Spurs have experience and seasoning. Youth tends to dominate in spurts, while experience and seasoning tend to wear down opponents over the course of a long series. I see San Antonio putting together another solid game plan — without the failure associated with letting big leads slip away. I predict a final score of San Antonio 111, Denver 106.
