Celtics vs. 76ers, Nuggets vs. Suns Picks, Best Bets and Odds for Game 3
The 76ers-Celtics second-round series shifts to Philadelphia on Friday tied at one game apiece while Nuggets-Suns moves to Phoenix with Denver holding a 2–0 lead.
The Celtics evened things up at home in Game 2 in spite of Joel Embiid’s return, now they head south to the City of Brotherly Love as road favorites. The Nuggets won both games at home by double digits thanks to the play of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, but they’re still underdogs in the desert.
Below are a few betting trends and picks for each contest. Boston-Philadelphia tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and Denver-Phoenix is next at 10.
Kevin C. Cox-Pool Photo
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers Best Bets
Jaylen Brown Stays Hot From Outside: Bet Brown Over 2.5 Made Threes
Brown’s three-point percentage dipped to 33.5% this season, a career-low, as his attempts went up. But so far in the playoffs, he’s been one of the best volume shooters from deep. He’s shooting a scorching 53.5% through eight games and over his last five he’s 19-29 (65.5%) with at least three made three-pointers in each contest. His over/under for three-pointers in Game 3 is set at 2.5, which has been an easy total for him to clear even on a relatively modest volume.
Boston’s Offense Travels: Bet Celtics Over 108.5 Points
The Celtics have the No. 1 offense in the playoffs with an average of 120.4 points per game. The fewest points Boston has scored all postseason was 112 in Game 1 of its first-round series against the Hawks. But the team point total for the C’s, who are 2.5-point road favorites in Philadelphia after their 34-point Game 2 triumph, is set at 108.5. That’s been an easy mark for Joe Mazulla’s team to clear all year long — the team averaged 117.9 points per game in the regular season, fourth-most in the league. Even against a sound 76ers defense playing at home, the Celtics can still be expected to crack 110 points.
Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns Best Bets
Nikola Jokić’s Scoring Run Continues: Bet Jokic Over 26.5 Points
Jokić has called his own number in the playoffs more often than he did in the regular season and his scoring is up as a result. The two-time MVP attempted just 14.8 shots per game this year, his fewest since the 2019-20 season. But in the playoffs, he’s up to 21.4 attempts and his scoring average has risen to 27.7 from 24.5. And so far in this series, he’s averaging 31.5 points per game after his 39-point outburst in Game 2. Jokić has the highest point total on the Nuggets but the third-highest of the game after Devin Booker (30.5) and Kevin Durant (29.5)
How Does Denver Do as an Underdog?
The Suns are four-point favorites at home for Game 3, which will mark the first time this postseason the Nuggets enter a game as the underdog. Denver has a 5–2 record against the spread so far in the playoffs and went 9–6 in the regular season in this position. Phoenix was 1–2 against the spread at Footprint Center in its first-round series with the Clippers and 22–18–1 in the regular season. The Nuggets were favored by 4.5 points in Game 1 and four in Game 2, both numbers that they easily covered.
NBA Playoffs Betting Record: 7–7
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