Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers Game 3: Prediction Against The Spread, Odds, Playoff Preview

The Portland Trail Blazers have had an interesting start to their second-round series with the Denver Nuggets. The Western Conference's No.3 seed heads back home with a chance to take a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 Friday night.

Damian Lillard's 39 points weren't enough to give the visiting Blazers a win in the series opener. When the star guard was held to just 14 points in Game 2, Portland actually came out on top.

The series opener was a high-scoring affair as Denver cruised to a 121-113 victory behind Nikola Jokic’s 37 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The big man was just three assists shy of a triple-double Wednesday night, but he scored only 16 points on 17 field-goal attempts as the Nuggets were defeated 97-90 in a defensive battle.

The betting odds suggest Game 3 will feature more scoring. Portland is a four-point favorite at home and the total is 215.5, according to OddsShark.

Lillard and Jokic are all but guaranteed to surpass the 30 combined points they scored Game 2. The All-Stars might even double that total in Friday's pivotal contest.

That's especially true for Lillard, who's averaging 31.3 points per game in the playoffs. He ended the first round with a 50-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he's come up with as many big shots as anyone this postseason. Lillard has scored 29 points or more in five of seven playoff games.

Jokic leads the Nuggets with 23.9 points per game in the playoffs. Jamal Murray is second on the team with 19.0 points per game.

Murray’s production has been the biggest indicator of Denver's chances to win this postseason, and that might not bode well for the team as they head on the road.

After scoring 23 points and dishing out eight assists on better than 50 percent shooting in the series opener, Murray had just 15 points and one assist on six-of-18 shooting in Game 2. To add injury to insult, the guard aggravated a thigh injury that forced head coach Mike Malone to take him out late in the fourth quarter.

Murray is expected to play in Game 3, though he's been hit or miss in his first postseason when healthy. He’s scored at least 23 points on 47 percent shooting or better five times. In each of Denver’s other four games, Murray has put up no more than 17 points on worse than 39.0 percent shooting.

The Nuggets are 5-0 when Murray shoots the ball well. They are winless when he doesn't.

Murray shot just 40 percent from the field on the road in the regular season compared to his 47.5 percent shooting at home. Denver went 1-2 on the road against the San Antonio Spurs last round after they posted a sub-.500 road record in 41 games.

The Blazers are 35-9 at home in the playoffs and regular season combined. They haven't lost in Portland since March 7.

Lillard and CJ McCollum have scored more than 60 points per game combined at home this postseason. The backcourt is a good bet to lead the Blazers to yet another big victory in Portland

Prediction against the spread: Portland over Denver, 118-107