Nuggets vs. Thunder Best NBA Prop Bets for Game 1 (Target SGA, Nikola Jokic, Westbrook)

With MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic facing off in the second round, it’s only right that we place a few prop bets for them in Game 1.

I have a pick for Jokic as a passer and Gilgeous-Alexander as a scorer for the Denver Nuggets-Oklahoma City Thunder matchup on Monday night.

Plus, there is a veteran guard that could be undervalued in his role in this matchup.

Oddsmakers have set the Thunder as massive favorites in this series, and there’s a chance that I’ll be targeting player props rather than huge spreads all throughout this series.

Here’s a breakdown of how to bet on Game 1.

Best NBA Prop Bets for Nuggets vs. Thunder

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-166)
Nikola Jokic OVER 9.5 Assists (+100)
Russell Westbrook OVER 10.5 Points (-105)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-166)

This postseason, Gilgeous-Alexander is attempting a bunch of 3-point shots, averaging 7.0 attempts per game while knocking down at least two in two of those matchups.

While he’s shooting just 25.0 percent in the playoffs, SGA was a 37.5-percent shooter from 3 in the regular season. This is also a great matchup against a Denver team that was 22nd in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage and 20th in opponent 3s made per game in the regular season.

I expect Gilgeous-Alexander to still have a pretty big workload from beyond the arc as by far the No. 1 option on offense for OKC.

Nikola Jokic OVER 9.5 Assists (+100)

This postseason, Jokic has four games with at least 10 assists, picking up at least eight in every game he’s played in.

So, getting the yearly MVP candidate at +100 to get double-digit assists feels like a pretty solid value. Jokic averaged over 10 assists per game in the regular season, and he had games with 13, 16, nine and eight dimes against the Thunder.

It’ll be interesting to see how OKC plays Jokic, but the Nuggets star has been playing way too many minutes (40.0 per game) in the postseason for me to pass him up at this number. Jokic had 40 games in the regular season with 10 or more dimes.

Russell Westbrook OVER 10.5 Points (-105)

This postseason, Russell Westbrook has played a huge role for the Nuggets, and it could end up being even bigger if Michael Porter Jr. struggles or is limited by his shoulder injury.

Westbrook scored 11 or more points in all five games that he was able to play in and complete against the Clippers, averaging 16.0 points per game in those contests.

The minutes will be there for Westbrook since Denver is playing such a shortened rotation, and he’s taken 10 or more shots in four of his playoff games. I think this is a perfect spot to buy low on the veteran guard – even against a tough OKC defense.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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