Thunder Soar into Western Conference Finals as Huge Favorites: Can Timberwolves Stop the Offensive Onslaught?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2016, defeating the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game 7 on Sunday. The Thunder will now face the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have returned to the conference finals for the second straight season after beating the Golden State Warriors in five games in the second round. The Thunder opened as a big -375 favorite in the series at BetMGM, with the Timberwolves coming back as +300 underdogs. This makes the Thunder the biggest favorites in the conference finals in the franchise's history, even dating back to their Seattle SuperSonics days. The SuperSonics were -270 favorites in the 1996 Western Conference finals series against the Utah Jazz, according to Sports Odds History's database. The Thunder were underdogs in their previous four conference finals appearances (2011, 2012, 2014, 2016). Despite their regular-season success this year, where they went 55-23-4 against the spread (70.5%), the Thunder have struggled against the number in the playoffs, going just 4-7 ATS. On the other hand, the Timberwolves have been terrific to bettors this postseason, going 8-2 against the number, including two outright wins as underdogs in their first-round series against LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 1 of the conference finals, the Thunder are 7.5-point favorites at BetMGM with a total of 214.5. The Timberwolves will need to find a way to slow down the Thunder's offense if they are to have any chance of advancing to the NBA Finals. The Thunder's offense has been dominant this season, averaging over 116 points per game in the regular season and 118 points per game in the playoffs. The Timberwolves will need to find a way to contain Russell Westbrook and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander if they are to have any chance of winning this series. The Timberwolves will also need to find a way to deal with the Thunder's defense, which has been solid all season long. The Thunder's defense has been ranked in the top 10 in both points allowed per game and opponent field goal percentage in the regular season and has continued to be strong in the playoffs. The Timberwolves will need to find a way to get their offense going and make it difficult for the Thunder to stop them if they are to have any chance of winning this series. Overall, this is a highly anticipated matchup between two teams that have been on opposite ends of the spectrum this season. The Thunder have been dominant on offense, while the Timberwolves have been strong on defense. The winner of this series will likely be determined by which team can execute their game plan better and find a way to slow down their opponent's strengths.
