Thunder vs Nuggets NBA Game 7 Pick: Can OKC Punch Its Ticket To The Conference Finals? (May 18)

• The Oklahoma City Thunder seek their first conference finals appearance since 2016.
• Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets can advance to the WCF round for the second time in three years.
• These squads last played on May 15, with the Nuggets claiming a 12-point victory.

The lone game on Sunday’s NBA slate features the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of a second-round Western Conference playoff series. Who emerges victorious in our Thunder vs Nuggets Game 7 pick?

Thunder vs Nuggets Preview

With an opportunity to close out its opponent on the road, the Thunder came up short, falling 119-107, setting up a seventh and final game for this series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one of three starters who reached double figures. He scored a team-high 32 points and handed out six assists. The MVP finalist also shot 11-of-16 overall and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.

Chet Holmgren posted a double-double that included 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Lu Dort added 10 points.

On the other side of the matchup, the Nuggets’ offense featured a trio of 20-point scorers. As expected, Nikola Jokic, the other MVP finalist led the way with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists.

Jamal Murray, who was questionable for this contest due to an illness, finished with 25 points, eight boards, and seven dimes. Christian Braun logged 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

OKC held a 61-58 advantage at the break, but thanks to a crucial 10-0 burst in the third, Denver took an eight-point lead into the final frame.

Murray started the fourth quarter with a four-point play, followed by a 3-pointer that pushed the Nuggets’ lead to double figures, allowing the home team to pull away down the stretch.

Thunder vs Nuggets Game 7 Pick: Who Has The Edge In This Winner-Take-All Matchup?

Despite losing by double digits, the Thunder enter this matchup as an eight-point favorite, according to BetOnline. Here are a few betting trends for both sides looking ahead to Game 7.

• The Thunder are 11-2 straight-up (SU) in their last 13 home outings.
• Oklahoma City has covered the spread twice in its previous nine games against Denver.
• The Nuggets are 2-4 overall in their last six Sunday matchups.
• Denver is 7-2 against the spread in its previous nine road games against OKC.

These teams split the four-game set during the regular season, and the same can now be said about the six games played in this series as well.

The key to OKC’s success this year has been its defense. This group is fourth in points allowed in the postseason (105.3 PPG); first in opponents’ overall shooting (41.4 percent), and third in opponents’ 3-point shooting (32.2 percent).

Given the numbers, OKC will prevail, but the margin of victory will be closer than the predicted spread.