NBA 2024/25 Expert Tips and Best Bets | May 29

Game five of the Western Conference Finals today sees Minnesota on the brink of elimination down 3-1 to OKC. With the Thunder back at home, we like them to close out the series and march on to the finals. We’re again looking for Shai to lead his side with 30 or more points despite believing Nickeil Alexander-Walker stays hot with 2+ threes.

Oklahoma City ML | $1.28 @ Betfocus

After getting absolutely blown off the court on the road in game three, Oklahoma City bounced back in game four with a gritty win to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. They now return home, where they won the first two games of this series by a combined 41 points. Although Minnesota will be desperate given that their season is on the line, we find it hard to pick against OKC in this situation. They’re 7-1 at home in this postseason - and six of those wins have been by 15+ points. Given their dominance, we’re taking them to close out the series at $1.28 on Betfocus.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 30+ Points | $1.42 @ Betright

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring output is about as consistent as they come. The MVP averaged 32.7 PPG this season and has kept cooking in the playoffs averaging 29.5. Since the start of round two, Shai has gone for 30 or more in eight of OKC’s 11 games. NBA betting sites understand his consistency and as such the odds for him to go for 30+ are at $1.42 on Betright. Even with the value being on the lower end, we love this pick. He has hit the 30 point mark in three of four against Minnesota and with the chance to advance to the NBA Finals, we’re expecting him to be aggressive and get his shots up.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker 2+ Threes | $1.68 @ PlayUp

Had Minnesota been able to win game four, the biggest story coming out of it likely would have been the play of SGA’s cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker. NAW scored 23 points off the bench hitting five of his eight shots from three-point range. This explosive showing is an outlier, but he has been a consistent contributor all season, this series included. He’s hit two or more threes in each of the four games against OKC and we like that to continue. Oklahoma City’s defense forces role players to hit shots - specifically corner threes. Alexander-Walker has shown he's more than able to do so and for that, we’re taking him for 2+ threes at $1.68 on PlayUp.