Denver Nuggets (1-0) vs. Team B (1-0)
Game Details: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 @ 9:30 pm EST
Location: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Where to Watch: TNT/truTV/Max
The Denver Nuggets are on the road for Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. The Nuggets were able to secure a 121-119 win in Game 1 to open up the series and “steal” home-court advantage. The Thunder are looking to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the playoffs as they did not execute properly in the stretch run of the game. Let’s take a deeper dive into the betting odds and decide who we should be betting on for Game 2 of the series.
Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total Runs | Money Line |
 | +10.5 (-110) | Over 229.5 (-110) | +380 |
 | -10.5 (-110) | Under 229.5 (-110) | -500 |
Apex Tale Of The Tape
| Team Stats (Playoffs) | |
| 109.4 | Points Per Game | 119.8 |
| 45.8 | Rebounds Per Game | 45.6 |
| 23.8 | Assists Per Game | 26.0 |
| 4.0 | Blocks Per Game | 6.2 |
| 7.5 | Steals Per Game | 11.0 |
| 47.7 | Field Goal Percentage | 44.9 |
| 37.9 | Three Point Percentage | 32.1 |
| 73.7 | Free Throw Percentage | 77.2 |
| 47.7 | Opp. Field Goal Percentage | 42.1 |
| 36.1 | Opp. Three Point Percentage | 30.6 |
| 18.6 | Fouls Per Game | 20.4 |
Projected Starting 5’s
| Position | |
| Jamal Murray | PG | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
| Christian Braun | SG | Luguentz Dort |
| Michael Porter Jr. | SF | Jalen Williams |
| Aaron Gordon | PF | Chet Holmgren |
| Nikola Jokic | C | Isaiah Hartenstein |
Key Stats
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are looking to go up 2-0 in the series after a 121-119 road win in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team was able to shoot 42-for-95 (44.2%) from the floor, 10-for-32 (31.3%) from the 3-point line, and 27-for-33 (81.8%) from the free-throw line. Center Nikola Jokic looked like a dominant star as he had 42 points, 22 rebounds, six assists, one steal, two blocks, and seven turnovers over the course of 42 minutes. The defense needs to be a bit better as the Thunder had a 42.0/34.9/71.4 team shooting split.
Outside of Jokic, the Nuggets were able to score well as five different players reached double figures and three players had at least 13 rebounds. Power forward Aaron Gordon has stepped up to be a force late in games as he now has two game-winning baskets in the playoffs. With Jokic looking locked in and getting some support from guys like Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Russell Westbrook offensively, the team seems to be in a good place, especially after scoring 71 points in the second half.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder were unable to hold onto a late lead in Game 1 of the series against the Denver Nuggets as they lost 121-119 at home. The Thunder had a respectable shooting night as the team was 42-for-100 (42.0%) overall, 15-for-43 (34.9%) from beyond the arc, and 20-for-28 (71.4%) from the charity stripe. Point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was able to step up as in 40 minutes he posted 33 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block. The defense needs to do better than fouling Denver so much as they allowed 33 attempts at the free-throw line as a result.
The Thunder were coming off extended rest as they swept their first-round series so there seemingly was a bit of rust, but they were just unable to get stops in the second half. All five starters and Alex Caruso off the bench scored at least 12 points to do well on that side of the ball. They used their size with 11 blocks as well, but just mismanaged the late stages of Game 1.
Betting Trends
| Betting Stats | |
| 2-1 | W/L Last 3 | 2-1 |
| 2-1 | ATS | 0-3 |
| 3-0 | O/U | 2-1 |
Prediction
The NBA Playoffs can be unpredictable, but these teams have shown the ability to score the basketball at an elite rate thus far. With Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander being two of the most prolific offensive threats in basketball, it is not difficult to imagine scoring being any concern. The Nuggets (115.1) and Thunder (116.5) are both within the top five teams in offensive rating in this year’s playoffs as well. All in all, go with the over as the better bet to make.
