Thunder vs Nuggets NBA Pick: League’s Top Team Hopes To Avoid 0-2 Deficit (May 7)

• The Oklahoma City Thunder look to bounce back after letting Game 1 slip away.
• Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets aim to win their third straight postseason contest.
• These squads last played on May 5, with the Nuggets escaping with a two-point victory.

One of the games on Wednesday’s NBA slate features the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of a second-round Western Conference playoff series. Can OKC get back on track in our Thunder vs Nuggets pick?

Thunder-Nuggets Game 1 Recap

The Thunder swept through the postseason’s opening round, while the Nuggets needed seven games to beat the Los Angeles Clippers. However, Denver served notice that it was not going to be an easy out in the playoffs, defeating OKC 121-119 in Game 1.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander guided an offense that featured all five starters reaching double figures. He finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

Jalen Williams and Lu Dort scored 16 and 14 points, respectively. Alex Caruso contributed 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds off the bench.

On the other side of the matchup, Nikola Jokic, who is in the running for his fourth MVP award, put together another memorable performance. He scored 42 points, pulled down 22 rebounds, and handed out six assists.

Aaron Gordon was also a key contributor, finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and came up clutch for the Nuggets once again. More on that in a bit.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter. OKC big man, Chet Holmgren, had an opportunity to give the home team a three-point lead. Unfortunately, he missed both free throws.

Gordon capitalized by hitting what ended up being the game-winning 3-point basket with 2.8 seconds left to play for a Nuggets squad that trailed by double digits in the first half.

Thunder vs Nuggets Pick: Who Has The Edge In Game 2?

After dropping the opener, the Thunder enter this matchup as a huge 11-point favorite, according to BetOnline. Here are a few betting trends for both sides looking ahead to Game 2.

• The Thunder are 16-4 straight-up (SU) in their last 20 outings.
• Oklahoma City has covered the spread 15 times in its previous 20 contests.
• The Nuggets are 8-3 in their last 11 matchups against Western Conference opponents..
• Denver is 6-1 against the spread in its previous seven games against OKC.

These teams split a four-game set during the regular season, each winning a game on the opponent’s home floor. In other words, a team winning a road game in this series is to be expected.

Also, remember that the Thunder won a league-best 68 games and dropped back-to-back games only twice this season. Given that trend, OKC bounces back here, even if it’s not by the predicted spread.