Thunder vs Nuggets NBA Pick: Can OKC Push Denver To The Brink? (May 13)

• The Oklahoma City Thunder aim to go up 3-2 following a tough road win.
• Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets look to bounce back following a sluggish performance.
• These squads last played on May 11, with the Thunder claiming a five-point victory.

One of the games on Tuesday’s NBA slate features the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of a second-round Western Conference playoff series. Who takes this pivotal contest in our Thunder vs Nuggets Game 5 pick?

Thunder-Nuggets Game 4 Recap

After suffering a 113-104 overtime loss in Game 3—a contest in which they scored only two points in the extra frame—the Thunder bounced back with a 92-87 victory in Game 4, tying the series at two games apiece.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace chipped in with 11 each off the bench. Jalen Williams had his worst game of the series, finishing with 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting overall and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.

On the other side of the matchup, the Nuggets placed four starters in double figures, but the offense was far from efficient. Nikola Jokic scored a team-high 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and had four steals on 7-for-22 shooting from the field.

Jamal Murray and Christian Braun each added 17 points, and Aaron Gordon chimed in with 15 points, 16 boards, and six dimes for a Denver team that shot 31.3 percent overall and just 24.4 percent from 3-point range.

Denver led 73-66 in the fourth quarter and seemed to be on the cusp of putting OKC in a 3-1 hole. However, the Thunder responded with a 9-0, capped off by Wallace’s second 3-pointer, which gave the road team a 75-73 advantage, a lead it would not relinquish.

Thunder vs Nuggets Game 5 Pick: Who Has The Edge In This Crucial Matchup?

After securing a hard-fought victory, the Thunder enter this matchup as a massive 10-point favorite, according to BetOnline. Here are a few betting trends for both sides looking ahead to Game 5.

• The Thunder are 12-5 straight-up (SU) in their last 17 outings against Northwest Division opponents.
• Oklahoma City has covered the spread 10 times in its previous 12 home contests.
• The Nuggets are 8-2 in their last 10 Tuesday night matchups.
• Denver is 6-2 against the spread in its previous eight road games against OKC.

OKC and Denver have split the eight matchups between the two franchises, including the postseason, with each winning twice on the other’s home floor.

OKC will prevail here in a game that can go either way, but the score will be much closer than the predicted spread.