After losing Game 1 at home, the Denver Nuggets absolutely needed a win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2. Well, the Nuggets got exactly that, earning a 19-point blowout victory. The two will now battle for the series lead at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, May 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Can Denver earn back-to-back victories in this series, despite being on the road in this one? Find out in our Nuggets vs. Blazers Game 3 picks and predictions.
Nuggets vs Trail Blazers game info
• Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
• Date: Thursday, May 27, 2021
• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA TV
Nuggets vs Trail Blazers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NBA Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonPortland opened as 3.5-point favorites and has bounced between that number and -4, with action split on these two teams. According to FanDuel sportsbooks, 54 percent of bets are on Portland while 58 percent of the money is riding on the home side. The total moved from 228.5 to 227, however, 81 percent of total bets are on the Over while 88 percent of the money is banking on a high-scoring finish to Game 3.
Check out the full line movement for this gameNuggets vs Trail Blazers series odds
Nuggets: +150
Trail Blazers: -170
Nuggets vs Trail Blazers betting preview
Injuries
Nuggets: G Will Barton (questionable), G Jamal Murray (out).
Trail Blazers: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Blazers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Normally, it’s fair to question whether or not a trend means something, but the one listed above definitely does. This Blazers team tends to respond when they either don’t win by enough or lose by more than they should have. Portland head coach Terry Stotts is one of the brightest minds in the game, and he should be able to help his team adjust after a blowout in Game 2. Stotts pushes the right buttons more often than not.
One thing the Blazers are going to need to do in Game 3 is take care of the basketball. Portland had 21 turnovers in Game 2, and that type of carelessness just isn’t going to cut it. Obviously, the Blazers have one of the best offenses in the entire NBA and playing freely is a big part of that. But Portland knows that it needs to value the basketball more moving forward, so look for the team to make some better decisions in its first game at home.
Also, the Blazers need more 3-point shooting from the supporting cast. Robert Covington, Carmelo Anthony and Norman Powell need to help take defenders away from Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum against a solid Nuggets defense. The three of them combined to go 2 for 9 from deep in Game 2, but they should be a lot more comfortable in front of their own fans.
PREDICTION: Blazers -4 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Game 2 ultimately went Over the total with relative ease, but that was because Denver simply wasn’t missing. The Nuggets shot 53.5 percent from the floor and 42.9 precent from deep, and the team also dished out 29 assists to only 12 turnovers. Denver is capable of getting that hot again in any of the remaining games in this series, but it’s unlikely that it’ll happen twice in a row. And Portland is not an easy place to play.
Meanwhile, the Blazers should be better offensively than they were in Game 2, but they also won’t need to push the pace in order to try to come back from a big deficit. That can lead to poor decisions and easy buckets on the other end.
PREDICTION: Under 227.5 (-110)
Player prop pick
McCollum just hasn’t found his rhythm in this series just yet, but you can count on that happening at the Moda Center tonight. McCollum is just too good of a scorer not to turn in multiple outbursts in this series, and it should come after two mediocre performances in a row.
McCollum did have 21 points in Game 2, but he also had five turnovers and just never quite felt like a serious threat to the Nuggets. Don’t be surprised if the Blazers make a concerted effort to get McCollum going here. They simply aren’t going to win this series if he’s not at his best.
PREDICTION: CJ McCollum Over 22.5 Points (-112)
Nuggets vs Trail Blazers betting card
- Blazers -4 (-110)
- Under 227.5 (-110)
- CJ McCollum Over 22.5 Points (-112)
Picks made on 5/27/2021 at 2:25 a.m. ET
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