The prospect of playoff basketball at Intuit Dome this season seemed like a stretch back in October, but the Los Angeles Clippers have gelled impressively, and they return home for Game 3 tonight against the Denver Nuggets.
Kawhi Leonard’s 39-point masterpiece on Monday leveled the series at 1-1, but my Nuggets vs. Clippers predictions aren’t giving up on Jamal Murray and the visitors just yet, even with L.A. looking like the better team so far in this series.
Check out my top NBA picks and betting angles for this April 24 showdown.
Who will win Nuggets vs Clippers Game 3?
The Clippers have won nine of their last 10 contests, and they’re certainly capable of grinding out another one-score win here. But the Nuggets still have enough championship DNA to take this right to the wire, especially given their steady 24-17 road record this year, and I expect a slicker performance from Denver’s big guns.
Nuggets vs Clippers prediction
My best bet: Jamal Murray Over 20.5 points (-120 at bet365)
The Denver Nuggets could easily be staring at a 0-2 hole in this first-round series against a deeper Los Angeles Clippers roster, and it’s only taken two games for David Adelman to understand just how far he needs to shrink his rotation.
Russell Westbrook was the only backup to log more than 14 minutes in Game 2, and both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray blew past the 40-minute mark for the second straight contest.
Denver has no choice but to roll with that same formula tonight in L.A., and this feels like a great spot for an Over on the Murray points prop, with the illness he was battling on Monday now moving into the rearview mirror.
Murray is averaging 22 PPG through his first two outings in this series. Though a hamstring injury limited his availability down the stretch of the regular season, he dropped 23 PPG in March. He hasn’t hit the supernova heights of past playoff runs yet, but tonight would be a timely moment to ease the burden on Nikola Jokic’s shoulders.
The Clippers boast a stout defense whenever Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and Kris Dunn share the floor, but there are matchups to pick at, including James Harden or Zubac in space on the perimeter. Across the last eight games where he’s taken 16+ shots, the Canadian has gone past this 20.5 O/U line seven times.
Denver may even ask more of Murray if Michael Porter Jr. can’t shake off a shoulder issue, and the track record of the Jokic-Murray two-man game is the biggest reason to believe the visitors can hold their own in Game 3.
Nuggets vs Clippers same-game parlay
Jamal Murray Over 20.5 points
Nuggets +5.5
James Harden Over 2.5 3-pointers
Murray isn’t the only Denver star who I’ll be watching closely tonight. Jokic had some uncharacteristic blunders in Game 2, from missed free throws to seven turnovers, but it’s reasonable to expect a bounce-back effort from the world’s best player here. And that would put the visitors in position to steal one on the road.
Both games so far have come down to a couple of late possessions, so a line of 5.5 seems a touch too high. I’ll take the points with the Nuggets and trust in Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun to do just enough defensively.
Harden didn’t deserve to be on the losing team in Game 1 after a 32-point, 11-assist effort, and I see him grabbing a share of the spotlight again tonight, particularly with his lights-out recent numbers from downtown.
The Beard has made 4+ 3-pointers in four of his last five contests, including both games of this series, and I’ll pad my SGP with the Over on 2.5 triples for Harden here.
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Nuggets vs Clippers odds
Nuggets vs Clippers live odds
Nuggets vs Clippers opening odds
- Spread: Denver +4.5 | Los Angeles -4.5
- Moneyline: Denver +167 | Los Angeles -187
- Over/Under: Over 214.5 | Under 214.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Nuggets vs Clippers spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Clippers are 30-7 in their last 37 games at Intuit Dome, but the Nuggets are 10-6 in their past 16 road contests.
- L.A. has only covered the 1H spread in 14 of its last 40 outings.
- While the Over was 48-33-1 in Denver’s 82 regular-season games, the Under is 5-3 in the visitors’ last eight contests.
- The Nuggets have cashed the 4Q Under in 36 of their last 58 fixtures.
Nuggets vs Clippers trend
The Under is 7-2-1 in the past 10 meetings between these teams. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Clippers.
How to watch Nuggets vs Clippers
| Location | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA |
| Date | Thursday, 4-24-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network - SoCal, Altitude |
Nuggets vs Clippers latest injuries
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