Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets Game 3 NBA Playoff Odds

No one except Charles Barkley is talking about the Denver Nuggets as true championship contenders, but the West’s No. 1 seed might just force people to start respecting them. They won Games 1 and 2 by double digits in Denver and now head to Phoenix to take on the Suns in Game 3 on Friday, May 5th holding a 2-0 series lead. Denver was the  moneyline  favorite for the first two games of the series, but most NBA betting sites and betting apps have the Suns as the favorites for Game 3 in Phoenix.

Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets NBA Odds - May 5th, 10PM EST

All three games of this series have seen a spread of four points or fewer, indicating just how tough this series is to call. All three favorites in this series have had moneyline odds lower than -175 which means the favorites are offering a lot of value in this Western Conference Semifinal matchup. All odds provided by Betway.

Phoenix Suns Odds Analysis

The Suns were dominated for most of Game 1, but they had every chance to knot the series in Game 2, building up an eight point lead late in the third quarter only to allow the Nuggets to go on an 8-0 run to start the final frame which gave Denver a lead they never relinquished.

Devin Booker continues to be an absolute stud, doing everything he could for his team in Game 2 as he scored 35 points in vain. Booker can put up gaudy numbers, but he needs support like any elite scorer does. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to see who the Suns are going to get that from.

Chris Paul has definitely lost a step at 37 years old and now the point guard is doubtful for Game 3 and could miss Game 4 and Game 5 too. That could actually be a blessing in disguise, however, as the elder statesmen wasn’t getting into the paint with any regularity, something that spicy backup Cameron Payne is great at.

Getting into the paint forces the Denver defense to constrict, which should open up outside shots and help with Phoenix’s difficulties from beyond the arc, where they’ve shot just 24 percent through two games.

Kevin Durant couldn’t really have played much worse than he did in Game 2, going 10-for-27 from the field and just 2-for-12 from the three point line. A bounce back performance will be sorely needed by his team, but whether that’s going to be enough is tough to say. The Suns could also use more than 14 points and 7.5 rebounds from their big man DeAndre Ayton, who has been getting eaten alive by Nikola Jokic so far in this series.

Denver Nuggets Odds Analysis

The Nuggets were known as an offensive juggernaut in the regular season, but in these playoffs they have shown a completely new side to themselves. They’re allowing just 103 points in the postseason, nearly 10 points fewer than their regular season average.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are not only carrying the team offensively like they’re supposed to, but both All-Stars are also completely locked in on the defensive end as well, exhibiting more effort, energy, and hustle than they ever did in the regular season.

The Nuggets will not be settling for a 2-2 split going back to Denver. Head coach Michael Malone has been harping on the importance and difficulty of achieving their playoff goals this season and his team has been responding and then some.

They were so good defensively in Game 2 that they won by 10 despite Murray and Michael Porter Jr. combining for just 15 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon were also able to provide some crucial buckets on top of their elite defense in Game 2.

Usually when Jokic is forced to score as much as he did in Game 2 (39) it’s a bad sign for Denver, but they were able to ride the Big Cevapi to the victory this time around. Jokic will continue to put Ayton in the blender for the rest of the series, so the x factors will be Murray and MPJ as they both look to bounce back from ugly games.

The Nuggets just seem like such a well-rounded team at the moment. They’ve been excellent defensively, they have offensive weapons that are as good getting to the basket as they are shooting from deep, and they’ve got quality depth that Phoenix head coach Monty Williams is probably looking at with a fair bit of jealousy.

It’s not often you get a No. 1 seed that’s up 2-0 in a series coming into a game as the underdog, but that’s what we have with the Nuggets here. While the Suns are likely to pick up one of the next two games in Phoenix, underdog odds for Denver are definitely worth a look considering what we’ve already seen.