A trio of Game 3’s takes place tonight in the NBA Playoffs with each of the home teams looking to dig out of an 0-2 deficit in their first round series.
Cavaliers at Magic (Cleveland leads 1-0)
(7 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Magic vs. Cavaliers odds
Spread: Cavs +2.5 (-110), Magic -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Cavs +118, Magic -138
Total: o201 (-110), u201 (-110)
Odds via FanDuel
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Cavaliers vs. Magic prediction & pick
The Orlando Magic have not exactly showcased their offense through two losses in their best-of-seven series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland has held Orlando to 83 and 86 points in the first two games of this series, while the Cavs have won each time by double-digits. In Monday’s Game 2, the Magic fell behind by 14 points at halftime and never recovered as they shot 26% from 3-point range.
Dating back to last season, the Cavaliers have cashed the Under in seven straight playoff games, while scoring fewer than 100 points six times.
The total for tonight’s Game 3 has dipped all the way down to 201.5 from 205 in Game 2.
Orlando is shooting 24% from downtown and there’s no guarantee things will change coming back home, where they scored 99 and 104 points in two regular season meetings with Cleveland.
Let’s keep riding the Under trend in this series and look for another low-scoring affair between the Cavaliers and Magic.
Pick: Under 201.5 (-110, BetMGM)
Joel Embiid and the 76ers will try to win their first game in their first-round playoff series with the Knicks.
Knicks at 76ers (New York leads 2-0)
(7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Knicks vs. 76ers odds
Spread: Knicks +5.5 (-108), 76ers -5.5 (-112)
Moneyline: Knicks +200, 76ers -245
Total: o204 (-110), u204 (-110)
Odds via FanDuel
Knicks vs. 76ers prediction & pick
Philadelphia was less than 30 seconds away from splitting the first two games of its series with New York until disaster struck.
The 76ers squandered a 101-96 lead in the final minute as the Knicks scored eight consecutive points for the shocking 104-101 victory.
Now the Sixers look to turn the page headed back home for tonight’s pivotal Game 3, looking to avoid an 0-3 hole. Philadelphia has jumped from a 3.5 to 5.5-point favorite this evening, even though New York has won five of six meetings this season.
The narrative is definitely there that the 76ers will just bounce back after the announcement of several missed calls in the final minute of Game 2 and them going back to Wells Fargo Center.
However, the Knicks have seen more balanced scoring in this series than the 76ers have with their two big names, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Let’s go with the Knicks here as a road underdog to cover in Game 3.
Pick: Knicks +5.5 (-108, FanDuel)
Lebron James hopes to get the Lakers a win against the Nuggets as the series moves to Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Nuggets at Lakers (Denver leads 2-0)
(10 p.m. ET, TNT)
Nuggets vs. Lakers odds
Spread: Nuggets +1 (-110), Lakers -1 (-110)
Moneyline: Nuggets -102, Lakers -116
Total: o217 (-110), u217 (-110)
Odds via FanDuel
Nuggets vs. Lakers prediction & pick
Los Angeles has seen a pair of big leads disappear in two road losses to Denver as the Lakers try to turn things around at Crypto.com Arena.
The Nuggets have won nine straight meetings with the Lakers since last season, including each of the past four matchups in Los Angeles.
Denver erased a 20-point deficit in Monday’s Game 2 triumph thanks to Jamal Murray’s jumper at the buzzer for a 101-99 victory.
The Lakers picked up the cover as seven-point underdogs even though the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reeves combined for 81 points.
The Nuggets look to shoot better from 3-point range after converting on 8-of-34 attempts in Game 2. Nikola Jokic put up another MVP-type effort in Game 2 by posting a triple-double which included pulling down 20 rebounds.
This line has shifted in L.A.’s favor with the Lakers sitting as short one-point home favorites.
Those two losses were demoralizing for the Lakers in Denver, who should be up 2-0.
Let’s back the Nuggets here to grab the outright win and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Pick: Nuggets ML (-105, DraftKings)
