Nuggets vs. Suns 2023 NBA Playoffs Odds and Game 3 Preview – May 5th

By Jeff Stinger • May 3, 2023

Denver takes the two-game lead in this Western Conference Semifinals series in opposition to Phoenix. The first two games looked comfortable for the Western Conference’s top seed, winning both games by ten points or more. Head coach Monty Williams and the rest of his crew ought to extinguish the Nuggets’ momentum quickly. Returning to Arizona is already a plus for the team.

The Suns still need to find ways to work around Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. It also doesn’t help that the Suns have an inferior bench side compared to Denver. Game 3 is crucial for Phoenix and is a must-win if they want to avoid early Round 2 elimination.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out key assists and lob passes with betting tips and news coverage throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Let’s break down the upcoming playoff showdown between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns.

Nuggets vs. Suns Game 3 2023 NBA Playoffs Second-Round Information

When: Friday, May 5, 2023, 10:00 PM ET
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
TV: ESPN
Radio: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM (Nuggets) // KMVP FM 98.7 (Suns)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
NBA Betting Odds: Nuggets (+4) / Suns (-14)

Why Bet on the Denver Nuggets?

Denver is arguably the best team in the playoffs right now. They are consistent and start to improve as they move closer to the NBA Finals. The Nuggets annihilated the Suns in back-to-back games. Most recently, the squad averaged 47.4% from the field and 25.9% from deep, outpacing their opponents on both occasions. The Northwest division team also dominated the inside and scored 48 points in the paint.

MVP candidate Nikola Jokic dominated the floor with 39 points on 17 of 30 shooting. He drained three of four free throws and led his team with 16 rebounds. The Serbian continues to prove his worth by delivering big numbers when it matters. Starting guard Jamal Murray also led the team with eight assists, ten points, and four rebounds.

Essentially, the Nuggets are the more complete team of the two. They are the fourth-ranked defensive team in the playoffs at 107.5. Denver is a tough team to crack on defense. They limit teams to 111.7 points per game on 47.6% opponent shooting. On the offensive end, they also have quality numbers to boast. As a team, the Nuggets average an 11th-best 115.6 points per game on a league-best 50.2% shooting.

Why Bet on the Phoenix Suns?

The Suns put up another underwhelming performance in Game 2. They shot 40.0% from the field and a more disappointing 19.4% from deep. They only had five attempts on the line, which all went in. However, Phoenix suffered from bad shooting and difficulty in scoring in the paint. Monty Williams’ squad only scored 30 points in the paint in four quarters, . The visitors were up by eight points at one point but failed to contain Denver’s offense.

Devin Booker headlined Phoenix with 35 points on 14 of 29 shooting and six assists. Kevin Durant led rebounding with eight boards. The duo failed to connect once again and fell into the hands of Denver’s competent defensive measures. The Suns’ 11th-best defensive rating in the playoffs did not help against Michael Malone’s approach.

Phoenix needs to bounce back quickly after getting trashed for two nights. Kevin Durant needs to up the tempo while the rest of the team has to shoot better given the opportunity. The Suns cut the deficit down to single digits at one point, but there was too much ground to cover to make up for a poor start. Ultimately, if the Pacific team can get things up a notch on the offensive flank, we anticipate a tighter Game 3.

Nuggets vs. Suns Betting Trends

The Nuggets lost four of the last five road playoff games (2-3 ATS).
The Nuggets won three of its last five games versus the Suns (5-0-ATS).
The totals went over in three of Denver’s last five road playoff meetings.
The Suns lost three of the last ten home playoff games (6-4 ATS).
The Suns are 4-1 in its last five games against the Nuggets as hosts (2-3 ATS).
The totals went under in two of Phoenix’s last five playoff games at Footprint Center.

Nuggets vs. Suns Game 3 Expert Betting Predictions

The Nuggets are brimming with confidence with another win against the Suns. Despite Phoenix opening as the series favorites, we expect better basketball coming from the team moving forward. It’s dangerous to get carried away after just a pair of wins. Golden State demonstrated just recently that you should never be complacent. But looking at how Denver handles things on both ends of the floor, we can only anticipate a tight road game for them on Wednesday. This is the best chance Phoenix has with home advantage on their end. The odds are likely to be in favor of the home team here, but covering the spread and taking the win remains a possibility for the battle-ready Nuggets.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.