Oklahoma City Thunder is big favorites while welcoming match 1 of the western conference finals on Tuesday, but they will face a well -rested team from Minnesota Timberwolves.
While the Thunder was fresh out of a game 7 victory against Denver on Sunday, the Timberwolves have not played since the elimination of Golden State six days ago.
Ribs and trends
Thunder are 7.5 points consensus favorites. This includes at Betrivers, where Timberwolves were a popular outsider with 67% of tickets and 69% of money to support them.
The total line of total bets of 216.5 points pulled 92% of the money. It is despite each of the last four eliminatory games of Minnesota where they entered as outsider under the line of total points.
Choice of accessories
–anex Caruso 2+ FGS 3 points manufactured (+110 at Betrivers): Caruso has attracted at least two three points in four of the last five games of Thunder. It offers even more attractive payment at +280 to reach three or more Tuesday evening.
– Julius Randle on 19.5 points (-125 in Draftkings): Randle has just taken an effort of 29 points during the minnesota victory in match 5 against Golden State, and has an average of 25.2 points for the series. It was after an average of 22.6 points against the Lakers in the previous series, and Randle scored more than 20 points in eight of the 10 playoffs.
History of the playoffs
The Timberwolves are in the conference final for the second consecutive season and the third time in their history. Minnesota has never progressed to the NBA final.
Oklahoma City has been in the Western Conference final for the first time since 2016 and looking for its first appearance in the NBA final since 2012.
Feel defensive
The series presents two of the best defenses in the NBA, both in the regular season and in playoffs.
The Thunder has a defensive note of 101.6 – points authorized for 100 possessions – in 11 eliminatory games, better this qualifying series. Minnesota’s defensive note 106.8 is second.
New era of stars
The match also includes two of the best young stars in the league in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Oklahoma City and Anthony Edwards of Timberwolves.
Gilgeous-Alexander has an average of 29.0 points, 6.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds in playoffs while Edwards is on average 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists.
Gilgeous-Aalexander, the first row of the most useful honors of the players, is looking forward to the match against the cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Minnesota.
The two players were born less than two months apart in Toronto and both attended the Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn.
“It will be very fun,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “It is difficult to explain. If you know how close we are, he is literally like my second brother. He has gone through each stage of life with me – collect basketball to go to school to do the NBA, we have gone through all the situations together.
“But I try to remove his head for sure.”
In a game game in 2023, Alexander-Walker helped hold his cousin for a shooting evening 5 of 19.
Alexander-Walker said that the coherence of Gilgeous-Alexander had raised it in a different level.
“It comes from the diligence, hard work, to see it from first hand and from the discipline that I have not seen honestly in anyone else,” said Alexander-Walker. “I have not seen a discipline like his. So I think that is the main reason why people think he made a leap when he just could be constantly that, because he was so disciplined in his approach.”
Season series
The teams divided their four games series and divided their two games at Oklahoma City.
Rudy Gobert du Minnesota played in one of these matches – a New Year’s defeat – while Chet Holmgren appeared in two of The Thunder’s games.
“Apple apples, I don’t know if these games are the perfect setting through which to watch the series,” said Thunder’s coach Mark Daigneault. “It will be different.”
PREDICTION
The Timberwolves have covered the spread in 16 of their last 17 games as an oppressed when they play with a rest advantage, according to Betrivers. Thus, while Minnesota will find it difficult to draw a massive upheaval in match 1, do not be surprised to see them cover. – Thunder 116, Timberwolves 110
– field level media
