The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder continue their Western Conference finals series on Thursday night.
The pregame narrative: OKC outscored Minnesota by 30 in the second half of Game 1 and is a heavy favourite to head north with a 2-0 lead. The Timberwolves will look to get more out of their superstar Anthony Edwards after a quiet opener.
Check out my Timberwolves vs. Thunder SGP predictions for Game 2 on May 21, featuring plays on Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Timberwolves vs. Thunder predictions
Parlay: Timberwolves +11.5 | Edwards over 6.5 rebounds | Gilgeous-Alexander under 32.5 points (+300)
Timberwolves +11.5 (-230): Minnesota was blown out for the first time this postseason on Tuesday, catching a 114-88 beating at Paycom Centre.
But I think this is a good spot for the T-wolves to rebound.
- Chris Finch’s squad was 8-2 straight up and 10-0 vs. a +11.5 line before Game 1.
- Minnesota is 11-7 ATS as a road underdog this year, losing those games by an average of just 0.3 points, according to Team Rankings.
- OKC went 2-5 ATS against the Nuggets last round, a team similar to Minnesota in skill.
The Timberwolves had a lead heading into halftime of Game 1 and were ultimately outdone by an anemic shooting performance.
Edwards was a no-show from a scoring standpoint, making just 5-of-13 shots in the opener. I expect him to be more ball-dominant on Thursday and keep this one close.
NBA SGP legs
Edwards over 6.5 rebounds (-148): I’ll keep backing Edwards on this market until he gives me a reason not to.
Minnesota’s top dog had a poor shooting performance in Game 1 but was active on the glass, gobbling up nine rebounds in 37 minutes of play.
This is what he’s done as a rebounder throughout the playoffs:
- 8.1 rebounds/game
- 6+ rebounds in 9 of 11 games
- 7+ rebounds in 8 of 11 games
OKC is playing at the second-fastest pace (100.83 possessions per 48 minutes) this postseason, and more possessions for each team will lead to more rebounding opportunities for Edwards.
Gilgeous-Alexander under 32.5 points (-125): Fading the league’s top scorer is risky business, but I think it’s a fine move on Thursday.
SGA shot 10-of-27 against the Timberwolves in Game 1, doing most of his damage from the charity stripe (11-of-14, finishing the game with 31 points).
A lot of those calls were generous, to say the least, and I think the national dialogue on SGA’s foul-baiting should lead to a tighter whistle in Game 2.
And even if he continues to get calls, I can still get down with this number.
The Canadian has fallen under this number more often than not this postseason. He’s averaging 29.2 PPG and going below this mark in seven of 12 games.
Timberwolves vs. Thunder predictions made at 3:00 p.m. ET 05/21/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.