The Nuggets will try to take one step closer to winning the NBA title on Friday night when they take on the Heat in Game 4 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Denver got back into the win column on Wednesday, dominating Miami 109-94 in Game 3.
The Nuggets received two historic performances from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who both had triple-doubles, which was the first time that has happened in Finals history. Jokic recorded his 10th triple-double in the playoffs, posting 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. Murry posted a team-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The veteran point guard has been playing at a superstar level in the Finals and would be the lead contender for Finals MVP if not for Jokic.
As for the Heat, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were the only starters in the double figures, as Kevin Love, Gabe Vincent, and Max Strus scored a combined 16 points. Butler led the way with 28 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field, while Adebayo put up 22 points and 17 rebounds. For Miami to go back to Denver tied at 2-2, it will need more help from its starting line because Butler and Adebayo can't do it alone.
HEAT-NUGGETS GAME 4 BETTING: Betting preview | Best Jokic props
If basketball fans want to bet on more big performances from Jokic, Murray, Butler, or Adebayo, they can do so on SuperDraft. On SuperDraft, bettors can pick an over/under on two or more player props. If you hit both, you win up to 3X the amount wagered, and the return increases each time you add another prop. Think of it as a "Same Game Parlay." More legs equal more risk, but also a bigger potential payout. However, not all players have the same props, so keep that in mind as you pick your over/under plays and try to win some cash during tonight's game.
SuperDraft Player Prop Picks for Nuggets-Heat Game 4
Nikola Jokic, C, Nuggets - OVER 27.5 points
Shoutout again to the SuperDraft community, as we have a discounted square for Game 4 on Jokic's points prop. The two-time MVP's prop was set at O/U 31.5 heading into Friday night's contest after a monster performance in Game 3.
Jokic is playing at a historical level this postseason and has continued in the NBA Finals. The superstar center is scoring 33.3 points per game on 59 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. Jokic has gone OVER 27.5 points in the past two games and had 27 points in Game 1. He's unstoppable once he gets his defender deep in the low post and knows how to draw contact to pick up points at the free-throw line.
We expect Jokic to pick up where he left off on Wednesday, as he's scoring 30.5 points per game in the NBA playoffs and has gone OVER 27.5 points in 11 out of his past 18 postseason games. Users need to take advantage of this discount because Jokic should easily hit the OVER in a closely contested road game.
MORE NBA FINALS BETTING:
MVP odds | Jokic triple-doubles | Exact series outcome
Jimmy Butler, SF, Heat - OVER 26.5 points
For the Heat to tie the series on Friday night, they will need Butler to come out shooting and set the tone immediately. Butler was Miami's leading scorer in Game 3 with 28 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field and one-of-four from beyond the arc. Even though the Heat came out on the wrong side, Butler did all he could to keep his team in the game.
With a lot on the line in Game 4, we believe that Butler will come out looking to score, just as he did in Game 3 when he had 10 first-quarter points. The 33-year-old star forward is posting 20 points per game in the NBA Finals but scoring 27.3 points throughout the playoffs. Butler has gone OVER 26.5 points in 11 out of 20 games and is scoring 29.1 points per game at home. In a must-win spot, we'll trust Jimmy Buckets to handle his business.
Aaron Gordon, PF, Nuggets - UNDER 6.5 rebounds
Gordon did a solid job of crashing the boards in Game 3 on Wednesday night, recording 10 rebounds, which was tied for second most on the Nuggets with Murray. Through the first three games of the NBA Finals, he's averaging 7.7 rebounds per game and has gone OVER 6.5 rebounds in back-to-back games.
However, we should probably temper our expectations for Game 4, as the Heat will make adjustments to not get dominated on the glass. In this year's playoffs, the 27-year-old power forward is recording 5.9 boards per game and has gone UNDER 6.5 rebounds in 12 out of his past 20 postseason games. We might be sweating out his prop on Friday, as Gordon has seven games with at least six rebounds, but we will take our chances on the UNDER.
Gabe Vincent, PG, Heat - OVER 12.5 points
Vincent had a rough shooting performance on Wednesday night, scoring seven points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point range. While most bettors/users might look to the UNDER after his poor shooting display, we will take the OVER, as we believe the shots will fall for him.
The 26-year-old point guard is scoring 13.6 points per game in the playoffs on 41.8 percent shooting from the field and 40.2 percent from deep. Vincent also had two solid performances in Games 1 and 2, scoring 19 and 23 points, respectively. We think that's the Vincent who will show up in Game 4 and has gone OVER 12.5 points in 11 out of 20 postseason games.
