Well, it’s official: The Lakers are in must-win mode! After dropping 2 games in Denver, Lebron James and company have to find a way to win Game 3. Coming back home to LA will help, but the Nuggets have proven that they’re no joke!
The Lakers are listed as a 5.5-point favorite at most online sportsbooks. The total is sitting at 223.5.
Will the Lakers finally get a win in the Western Conference Finals? We’ll see! Here are 3 PrizePicks NBA Props for Saturday, May 20. Best of luck!
Aaron Gordon UNDER 12.5 Points
This one is a no-brainer! Gordon has stayed under this point total in 6 straight games. The Lakers’ defense will be stout at home in a game that they have to have to make this a series. The former Arizona Wildcat has a nice skill set, but his scoring has really fallen off since March.
Points will be at a premium in this one for Gordon. This Lakers defense ranks 2nd in opponent shooting efficiency and 3rd in three-point defense. There shouldn’t be many open looks for Gordon in Game 3.
This is one of the few times that we’re betting against the sportsbooks. Most of them favor the Over. However, we can’t ignore Gordon’s poor current form. We’ll ride this Under trend and hope for 7 in a row.
D’Angelo Russell UNDER 1.5 Made Threes
Russell just hasn’t been able to get into a groove from beyond the arc. He’s stayed under this total in 6 of his last 8 ball games. Returning to his home arena will help, but we don’t see Russell suddenly getting hot.
During the regular season, Russell averaged 2.7 made shots from downtown per game. However, he’s only averaging 1.9 made threes per game during the playoffs.
With the Lakers in must-win mode, look for Lebron James and Anthony Davis to take most of the shots. We’ll go back to the well with the Under on Russell’s made three-pointers.
Austin Reaves OVER 0.5 Steals
Caesars is juicing this Over at -142, which immediately caught our attention and pointed us in the direction of this play. Reaves is a scrappy defensive player, and he’s gotten at least 1 steal in 3 of his last 5 games. He’s also gotten a steal in 8 of 14 playoff games this year.
The Nuggets are a dominant team, but they do turn the ball over more than you might expect. Denver allows 7.6 steals per game, which ranks 20th in the league. They also average 14.2 turnovers per game, which ranks 17th.
We’ve talked ad nauseam about how we expect the Lakers to ratchet up the defensive intensity in this must-win Game 3. Reaves will be a big part of that effort and will grab at least one steal. Let’s play the Over!
