NBA betting odds are on the board for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, set for Sunday night. The Los Angeles Lakers are already up 2-0 in the best-of-7 series, so the Miami Heat are pretty much in must-win mode.
Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on NBA Finals opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting for Sunday’s matchup, along with odds to win the NBA championship. Covers will update this action report with NBA sharp picks vs. public bets and line movement up until game time.
NBA line movement
UPDATE 7:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Shortly before game time, the Lakers are -9.5 at South Point sportsbook, after opening -9. The total moved from 218 to 220.5.
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY: A couple of hours before tipoff, DraftKings was at Lakers -9, after opening at -9.5 and hitting -8.5 a couple of times before spiking back to -9.5. The total went from 218.5 to 220, then ticked back to 219.5 this morning.
UPDATE 1:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY: The Lakers opened -10 at FanDuel and dropped to -8.5 Saturday, but rebounded to -9.5 within a couple of hours. The total moved from 218.5 to 220.
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The Lakers led Game 2 by 14 at halftime and kept the at arm’s length the rest of the way in a 124-114 victory. FanDuel Sportsbook followed by making Los Angeles a 10-point favorite, but that line shifted to -8.5 by Saturday afternoon.
After missing Game 2, Heat forward Bam Adebayo (shoulder) expects to be back for the 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff, likely contributing to a little more optimism from Miami backers. Goran Dragic missed Game 2 with a foot injury, and his status is uncertain for Game 3.
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NBA sharp money
Check back for updates on where the sharp bets are coming in for Sunday’s game.
NBA public betting
UPDATE 7:15 P.M. ET SUNDAY: "It's been all Lakers and all Over," South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said. "We got a little bit on the underdog, but all the parlays are on the Lakers. Ideally, we need the 'dog and Under."
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY: The Lakers are getting 59 percent of tickets and 71 percent of money on the spread at DraftKings. Tickets and money on the total are both running about 3/1 on the Over.
UPDATE 1:45 P.M. ET SUNDAY: As the back-and-forth line movement seems to indicate, it's two-way action on Game 3 at FanDuel, with a lean toward the Lakers. Los Angeles is attracting 56 percent of tickets and money on the spread. There's more consensus on the total, with 80 percent of bets and 78 percent of money on the Over.
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Game 3 is drawing two-way action at FanDuel, with the Lakers getting 53 percent of tickets and the Heat taking 56 percent of money through Saturday afternoon. The total remained at the opener of 218.5, even though FanDuel was seeing 84 percent of bets and 93 percent of money on the Over.
Odds to win the NBA championship
Before Game 1, DraftKings Sportsbook had the series priced at Lakers -375/Heat +280, and it moved to Lakers -1,667/Heat +880 following Los Angeles’ win. With L.A. now up 2-0, the Lakers are massive -10,000 favorites to win the series and the championship, with the Heat +2,400.
Where can I bet NBA odds?
Many online books and casinos offer bets on basketball odds and props. Check out the best sportsbooks available where you live.
