The Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to win Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets to avoid a 3-0 deficit in the Western Conference Finals. Read on for our top NBA player props and best bets for Saturday based on the best NBA odds.
In Game 2, the Los Angeles Lakers let a golden opportunity slip away by coughing up a fourth-quarter lead in an eventual loss to the Denver Nuggets. Will Los Angeles respond back at home, or will Denver take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals?
Here are our top NBA player props and best bets for Saturday (odds via BetMGM, DraftKings, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Saturday's NBA schedule and odds
(Odds via DraftKings)
- Denver Nuggets (+5.5) at Los Angeles Lakers
Satur day's NBA best bets
- Anthony Davis Over 2.5 blocks (+110 via BetMGM) vs. Nuggets ????
- Lakers to win first half and full game (-125 via PointsBet) vs. Nuggets ????
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Saturday's NBA player prop picks
In my Game 2 preview, I recommended taking the -125 price on Over 3.5 total steals and blocks for Davis. That cashed with ease, as Davis finished with five combined steals and blocks in the loss. Our best sports betting apps have since adjusted, as the best price you can find on that same Over is now -145 at Caesars.
We have opted to pivot to the blocks market instead, which is being offered at plus-money as of Saturday afternoon. And we are us ing similar logic to Game 2, with the Lakers' defensive game plan designed for Davis to clean things up at the rim.
LeBron James and Rui Hachimura spent most of Thursday's battle serving as the primary defender on Nikola Jokic. Neither player is capable of stopping Jokic, but the tactic is more about giving Davis an opportunity to make plays as the help defender and roamer. He finished with four blocks last time out, despite one block being taken away by a questionable goaltending call at the end the third quarter.
This postseason, Davis has been arguably the best defensive player in the league. He has cleared this line of 2.5 blocks in 10 of his 15 playoff games, averaging 3.2 blocks per contest over that span.
Take advantage of this offering at BetMGM, especially when a shop like DraftKings is hanging a -110 price tag on the same prop.
If you wou ld prefer to bet on James in Game 3, consider this +530 prop from Zachary Hanshew that he broke down in his Nuggets vs. Lakers NBA betting preview.
Check out our NBA Finals odds and NBA Finals MVP odds.
Saturday's NBA game picks
By now, it is no secret that bettors want to back a team down 0-2 in the first half of Game 3. Desperation can often lead to a strong start, especially at home. But the market might have already scooped up the value on this angle for Saturday's Game 3.
The Lakers opened as first-half favorites of 2.5 points, but are now laying -4.5 at our best sports betting sites. That means we have to get creative by attacking a similar angle, which is how we landed on this double result market. We are betting on the Lakers to be ahead at halftime before eventually winning this game.
Los Angeles is priced around -250 on the first-half moneyline, which means the home team has an implied probability of 71.43% to be ahead at the break. Assuming the Lakers can jump out to an early lead, we like the idea of backing them to ultimately prevail in a game where they are priced between -215 and -250 to win.
Don't buy into the inflated first-half spread this close to tipoff, and consider this angle instead. This prop is playable at anything -130 or better, so we are getting great value by placing this wager at PointsBet when FanDuel has the same market listed at -155.
NBA best bets made 05/20/2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Here are our best NBA betting sites:
- FanDuel: $1,000 No Sweat First Bet | Read our FanDuel Review
- Caesars: Earn Up to a $1,250 Bet Credit | Read our Caesars Review
- DraftKings: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Read our DraftKings Review
- PointsBet: Earn Five Second-Chance Bets Up to $50 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
- BetMGM: Get a Bonus Bet of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Live Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)