Sean Barnard details his top Jamal Murray prop bets for tonight’s NBA Playoffs matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
There is no better phrase in sports than Game 7, and that is what we have in store tonight. The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers will face off in Denver as Jamal Murray and company look to earn the opportunity to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
It has been a back-and-forth series that has lived up to the high expectations that were established coming into the playoffs. Three of the matchups have finished with under a three-point margin, including the opening overtime matchup, while Aaron Gordon produced one of the closest buzzer-beaters in NBA history.
The Nuggets enter this closeout matchup as 1.5-point favorites with -118 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Clippers hold -102 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 207 points for this matchup.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Jamal Murray prop bets ahead of this upcoming classic playoff matchup.
Best Jamal Murray Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Murray’s props are listed at over/under 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.5 made three-pointers and 32.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Jamal Murray Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (+110)
Jamal Murray is one of the more clear playoff risers across the NBA. He has averaged more points per game in the postseason in five of the six playoff appearances he has made with the Nuggets, compared to his regular-season outlook, with this year being no different. Through the opening six games of the series, Murray is averaging 24.0 points, 6.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting 43.2% from beyond the three-point arc and is also leading the entire NBA playoffs in minutes per game at 42.2 per night.
While Nikola Jokic continues to be the engine of the Nuggets’ offense, Murray’s off-ball ability has allowed him to be the co-star Jokic needs. The Kentucky product has stepped into center stage in the postseason, including erupting for 43 points in the Game 5 victory. Murray has shot 19-for-44 from beyond the three-point arc in this series, recording over 2.5 made three-pointers in three of the six games.
Murray has also shot the ball better at home all season. He connected on 41.1% of his perimeter shots in the regular season compared to a 37.5% three-point rate on the road. This has translated in the playoffs, with all three games he has recorded over 2.5 made three-pointers taking place in Ball Arena. With the home crowd behind him again tonight and Denver set to leave it all on the table in this Game 7 thriller, expect it to focus on creating shots for Murray and for the star guard to deliver with at least three three-pointers tonight.
Jamal Murray to Record 25+ Points (+155)
To take it a step further, I like Jamal Murray to record 25+ points and am capitalizing on the +155 odds offered on DraftKings Sportsbook. His standard point prop is set at 21.5 for the matchup, with the over favored at -120 odds. Murray has scored 21+ points in five of the six games but he recorded 25+ in just one.
The 28-year-old is a big game player who tends to be at his best when the moment is the largest. He had 35 points in last year’s Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves in the second round and 32 points in the Game 6 elimination game in the opening round against the Lakers last year. Overall, Murray has tallied 25+ points in 27 playoff games.
Los Angeles has built an identity on its defense and outperformed expectations on this end of the floor by a significant margin. But when push comes to shove, expect Denver’s offense to fully run through Jokic and Murray in the two-man game. There has yet to be a defense capable of fully neutralizing this combo, with this Clippers unit included. Expect a scaled-up offensive opportunity for the Nuggets’ stars and for Murray to be at his best when the lights are brightest once again. The +425 odds of Murray to score 30+ also stand out to me as worth a stab, but we won’t get greedy in this article.
