Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers: The best player prop bets for Game 3

Thursday night sees the resumption of one of the most balanced and exciting of all the first-round NBA Playoffs matchups as the Portland Trail Blazers host presumptive MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The series is even at one game a piece, and has so far proven to be about which team can enforce their offensive dominance. The Blazers will be looking to recapture momentum at home after the Nuggets managed to notch a 19 point victory in the Mile High City.

So, which players can we expect to have breakout games and which will be held in check? We have the three best player props picks for tonight's action below.

Damian Lillard Over/Under 32.5 points

The most significant event of Game 2 was Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone’s decision to have former Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon guard Damian Lillard in the second half.

"Dame was going crazy in the first half. It almost looked like we didn’t have an answer for him," Gordon said. "I looked at the coaching staff and said, 'I got him.'"

After torching the Nuggets for 32 points in the first half Lillard only managed 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting in the second after Gordon took on the challenge. It changed the game, and perhaps the series.

This is not the first time that size and athleticism have bothered Dame on-ball. In Anthony Davis’ lone playoff series win in New Orleans, it was the on-ball hawking of Jrue Holiday that proved too much for Oakland’s finest. Expect Gordon to cover Lillard from the jump in this one, and while nobody can stop Dame Time, expect him to slow him down.

Pick: Under 32.5 Points (-113)

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Carmelo Anthony Over/Under 11.5 points

Carmelo Anthony banished some demons Monday night by getting his first win in Denver since his trade to the New York Knicks in 2011. No, you’re not misreading that. Melo went 10 years without a win in Denver. In Game 1 he shot 50% from 3-point range and added a cool 18 points.

Melo was only 1-5 in Game 2, but they were good looks, either against Michael Porter Jr., who has the length but not the cunning to guard him, or one of the smaller Denver guards who Anthony can easily bully into the rim, bait for fouls, or simply rise up and shoot over the top.

Expect Carmelo to get a boost from the home crowd and to do what he’s done all 18 years of his Hall of Fame career: Get buckets.

Pick: Over 11.5 Points (-113)

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CJ McCollum Over/Under 22.5 points

With the Nuggets keying their defense to stop Lillard, as any rational team would do, more of the load will shift to Portland’s second-leading scorer, CJ McCollum. McCollum sports one of the most technically pleasing jump shots in the entire NBA, and shot 40% from deep on the season despite being assisted on a smaller portion of those shots than any prior season, per Basketball Reference.

McCollum was a red hot 9-12 from the floor last game for 21 points, and he was doing it from all over the court. While ostensibly guarded by Monte Morris or Facundo Campazzo, he made frequent use of screens to get switched onto Michael Porter Jr., easily burning MPJ on drives to the basket to score inside. Still, 12 shot attempts will not suffice if the Blazers want to win this game, and I fully expect CJ to significantly turn up the volume in Game 3.

With all Denver’s pressure geared towards stopping Dame, CJ will be looking to attack early and often.

Pick: Over 22.5 points (-113)