The Denver Nuggets surprised many when they turned their series against the Los Angeles Clippers around after trailing 2-1. Their reward for their good play? A second-round matchup against the dominant and formidable Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder are favored to handle the Nuggets and advance to the Western Conference Finals, but you can never count out Nikola Jokic. We are going to look at the odds and determine the best Thunder-Nuggets Game 1 props to consider taking for Monday night’s game.
The Most Intriguing Thunder-Nuggets Game 1 Props
*All Thunder vs Nuggets betting odds are courtesy of Bovada as of Monday morning
Isaiah Joe: Over 5.5 points (-136)
Isaiah Joe certainly isn’t the sexiest Thunder player to be betting on. However, that doesn’t mean that taking his points over isn’t one of the best props to consider betting on. Joe has surpassed the five-point mark in each playoff game so far. He has also eclipsed five points in seven of his last ten games overall.
For Joe to hit this line, he essentially needs to make two three-pointers. Joe averaged 2.6 made threes a game this season, and averaged exactly two per game in the Thunder’s first round sweep of the Grizzlies. If the Thunder blow the Nuggets out in Game, Joe could be in line for extra playing time as well.
Russell Westbrook: Over 11.5 points (-103)
This is a bit of a riskier bet. As everyone has seen over the last few seasons, the Russell Westbrook experience can be feast or famine. The former MVP is also returning to his old stomping grounds, an exciting prospect for all NBA fans. Additionally, Westbrook has also been finding his groove over the last few games.
Westbrook has scored 21, 14, and 16 points over his last three games, respectively. He also has at least 14 points in every game over his last ten, where he played at least 20 minutes. The Nuggets don’t have much help on their bench outside of Westbrook, so we are expecting big minutes and solid production in Game 1.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Under 43.5 points/rebounds/assists (-122)
This is by no means a shot at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He will likely play great on Monday and has the ability to put up some big numbers. That being said, there are a few different reasons we like the SGA under for points/rebounds/assists as one of the best Thunder-Nuggets Game 1 props.
First off, Gilgeous-Alexander only eclipsed this number once in the four-game sweep of the Grizzlies. Over that series, he averaged a combined 38.75 pts/reb/ast. The Thunder just don’t need him to put up huge numbers to win games. They are super deep and can distribute the scoring load evenly across their extremely talented roster.
We also think there is a pretty significant blowout potential for the Thunder-Nuggets Game 1. The Nuggets are coming off a tough 7-game series, while the Thunder have been resting, waiting to start the second round after they swept Memphis. If the game is a blowout, we expect Gilgeous-Alexander not to play enough minutes to grab a ton of counting stats.
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