Nuggets vs Thunder Picks and Prediction – 5/6/2025

The Denver Nuggets visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday for Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals best-of-seven series. Denver reached the semifinals by eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 in their first-round series. The Nuggets beat Los Angeles 120-101 in Game 7 on Saturday. Aaron Gordon was the leading scorer for Denver in Saturday's victory with 22 points. Keep up to date with all the NBA action with our expert NBA picks.

During the playoffs, Nikola Jokic leads Denver in scoring, rebounding, and assists, averaging 25.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game. Jamal Murray is second in scoring, averaging 23.2 points per game. Denver has six players who average double figures in scoring. The Nuggets score an average of 105.7 points per game, shooting 47.5% overall and 39.1% from 3-point territory.

The Oklahoma City Thunder reached the Western Conference semifinals after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 in their first-round series. Oklahoma City won Game 4 of the series 117-115 to complete the sweep. dating back to the regular season, Oklahoma City has won each of its last eight and 19 of the last 21. The Thunder ended the regular season with the best overall record in the NBA at 68-14.

During the playoffs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City in scoring and assists, averaging 27.8 points and 6.0 assists per game. Isaiah Hartenstein is the leading rebounder, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game. Oklahoma City has three players who average double figures in scoring. The Thunder scores an average of 120.0 points per game, shooting 45.7% overall and 31.3% from 3-point territory.

Denver and Oklahoma City were 2-2 straight up and against the spread this season in four head-to-head games. However, in Monday’s Game 1 of the series, Oklahoma City has a big advantage as the Thunder have not played since April 26, while Denver was extended to seven games in its first-round series versus the Clippers and played on Saturday. Oklahoma City completed the regular season second in points allowed and will use its defense to win and cover in Game 1 on Monday. Final Score Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder wins and covers 115-101.