Perhaps the most anticipated first round matchup of the NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves series has not disappointed.
The Nuggets pulled away late to take Game 1 in Denver, and they were up by as much as 19 in Game 2, but a crucial adjustments made by the Wolves formed a spirited comeback.
While down by 15+, Minnesota went to a small ball lineup that overwhelmed the slower Nuggets with consistent drives to the basket and transition opportunities that quickly shrunk the Denver lead. Of course, the Wolves would go on to get some clutch stops at the end of the game to take Game 2 and tie the series at one apiece.
Now, with the series heading towards the mid-way point, it'll be a game of chess between head coaches David Adelman and Chris Finch to try and find the best ways to put their players in advantageous situations.
Along with adjustments on the margins, each team will need their respective superstar to play well to come out of this series as winners.
For Denver, they'll need some more scoring production from 3x MVP Nikola Jokic. The big man is usually incredibly efficient, but the 4x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert has limited his shooting to 19-39 from the field and just 3-14 from three.
Jokic scored 25 points in Game 1 and 24 points in Game 2 with most of those points coming in bursts rather than throughout the game. He'll need to dominate against the Wolves' small ball lineup if they go to it.
Despite the lack of scoring, Jokic has been his usual self when playmaking and rebounding the ball - he had 13 boards and 11 assists in Game 1, and 15 rebounds and eight in Game 2.
On the other side, Anthony Edwards has been dealing with lingering pain to his knee, and some wincing expressions throughout the first two games have shown that the knee is certainly affecting him.
His three point shot seems to have left him - he has shot 5-20 from three in the first two games combined with most of the misses being short, but he's done a nice job attacking the basket.
Edwards scored 22 in Game 1 and 30 in Game 2. With the crowd behind him tonight, Edwards could certainly have a massive Game 3 later tonight.
Ahead of Game 3 at 9:30 PM ET, let's take a look at the player props, odds, and lines for Jokic and Edwards respectively on bet365:
Nikola Jokic Player Props - Game 3 vs. Timberwolves
First Play Props
Basket | +700 |
Assist | +270 |
Rebound | +375 |
Points
Over 29.5 | -105 |
Under 29.5 | -120 |
35+ | +240 |
40+ | +600 |
45+ | +1200 |
50+ | +2000 |
Assists
Over 9.5 | -135 |
Under 9.5 | +105 |
13+ | +320 |
15+ | +800 |
Rebounds
Over 13.5 | -130 |
Under 13.5 | +102 |
15+ | +115 |
17+ | +255 |
20+ | +725 |
Threes Made
Over 1.5 | -145 |
Under 1.5 | +115 |
3+ | +205 |
4+ | +550 |
5+ | +1100 |
6+ | +1900 |
Points + Assists + Rebounds
Over 53.5 | -110 |
Under 53.5 | -115 |
Triple Double
Yes | +135 |
No | -170 |
Anthony Edwards Player Props - Game 3 vs. Nuggets
First Play Props
Basket | +475 |
Assist | +750 |
Rebound | +850 |
Points
Over 28.5 | -115 |
Under 28.5 | -110 |
30+ | +100 |
35+ | +255 |
40+ | +600 |
45+ | +1200 |
50+ | +1900 |
Assists
Over 4.5 | -112 |
Under 4.5 | -112 |
7+ | +350 |
10+ | +1700 |
Rebounds
Over 5.5 | -120 |
Under 5.5 | -105 |
7+ | +155 |
10+ | +800 |
Threes Made
Over 3.5 | +122 |
Under 3.5 | -155 |
5+ | +275 |
6+ | +600 |
7+ | +1050 |
8+ | +1700 |
Points + Assists + Rebounds
Over 39.5 | -112 |
Under 39.5 | -112 |
Double Double
Yes | +625 |
No | -1100 |
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Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
