The Three at 3 is 4-2 over the last two nights and will now try to come up with a third profitable evening in a row. Tonight's six-game NBA slate features the Memphis Grizzlies hosting the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets facing the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA TV doubleheader. Check out our best bets below:
1. Suns at Raptors - The Suns have had two full days to sit on a 23-point blowout loss at home against a shorthanded Miami Heat team, so Phoenix comes into this game angry and well-rested. The Suns got Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder back against the Heat last game, which is a huge plus for Phoenix moving forward. It's entirely possible that the Suns needed a game to get comfortable with its full cast of contributors back, as they had been playing with an entirely different rotation in the weeks prior. Perhaps that's why they got blown out by the Heat. Now, they'll look to get back on track against a Raptors team that has won six games in a row. Phoenix has to be feeling somewhat good about its chances here, as the Suns have a massive advantage in the paint in this one. Toronto's weakest position is the center spot, but Phoenix has guys like Ayton and JaVale McGee there. Also, while Fred VanVleet has turned into a legitimate All-Star with the Raptors, the Suns have as good of a backcourt as anybody in the league. Chris Paul and Devin Booker are more than ready for the challenge in this one, and the same goes for Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. Phoenix's wings should be able to hold their own against Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes — if the rookie ends up playing despite his questionable tag. For what it's worth, the Suns are 16-5 against the spread in road games when coming off an upset loss under head coach Monty Williams.
THE PICK: Suns -4
2. Warriors at Grizzlies - The Warriors will be without Draymond Green in this meeting with the Grizzlies, but they will have Klay Thompson in the backcourt. It will take some time for the sharpshooter to really get himself back in a groove, but his presence is still extremely important for Golden State. With him, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins all out there to space the floor, teams are going to need to stop doubling Steph Curry moving forward. That's going to unlock a heck of a lot of options for this Warriors offense, which just might explode in this meeting with the Grizzlies. And while Memphis is an excellent basketball team, Dillon Brooks' absence is a big one. Brooks is one of the Grizzlies' most reliable scorers and they're going to miss his ability to create shots for himself against an elite defensive team like the Warriors. With that in mind, look for Golden State to put an end to Memphis' nine-game winning streak. Golden State won by nine the last time these teams played and Steve Kerr's team also happens to be 15-5 against the spread when coming off a home game this year. The Warriors have won those games by an average of 12.1 points per game.
THE PICK: Warriors -1.5
3. Nuggets at Clippers - The Los Angeles Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 106-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. The Clippers now have a very winnable game against the Denver Nuggets, who are now without Will Barton for the next couple of games. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. already out, the Nuggets had been leaning heavily on Barton's versatility as a perimeter player. Without him, Denver is just extremely thin on reliable pieces to play off Nikola Jokic. And while Los Angeles doesn't have all that much talent either, the Clippers constantly play hard on both ends of the floor and they also have one of the best basketball minds in the league coaching them. Ty Lue should have his team prepared for this game, especially considering the Clippers just lost to the Nuggets a few games back. Los Angeles is 12-10 both straight-up and against the spread when revenging a home loss versus an opponent under Lue. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are just 9-13 against the spread on the road this year.
THE PICK: Clippers +3.5
