NBA Basketball
2025-05-18 - Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Basketball Playoff Second Round Game 7
Sunday 18th May 2025 - Scheduled 3:30pm
8:30pm (British Time)
Preview
The late regular season firing of Michael Malone raised eyebrows, but those involved in the decision making already felt justified when the Denver Nuggets came through a Game 7 success in the First Round of the Playoffs.
That does not mean the 2023 Champions would have been happy just to be here and they have played with a genuine belief that they could beat the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference.
Game 6 saw the Nuggets put together a solid performance having lost the last two games in the Second Round Series and they have forced this elimination game opportunity. With the way the Playoffs have been shaking out, the Nuggets may feel another Championship opportunity will open up if they can upset the odds on Sunday and the team will head back to Oklahoma City with a real confidence around them.
Aaron Gordon pulled up in the Fourth Quarter, but felt pretty confident that the hamstring issue will be dealt with and he will be ready to go. The Nuggets need everyone if they are going beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they will be playing with two days of rest, which is important for a veteran team, and that should also be enough time for Jamal Murray to come through the illness that almost ruled him out of Game 6 on Thursday.
There is plenty of pressure on the young Oklahoma City Thunder and they need a couple of players to come out of a relative slump as they bid to work their way into the Western Conference Finals. Another Second Round defeat in the post-season would be tough to swallow and that does build pressure around a team that missed the first close out opportunity that was available to them.
Adjustments can be made with two days between games, and the Thunder have shown they can come through tough moments to win important games. We may need to see all of that again if they are going to match expectations and surpass the Playoff run of 2024, but it may prove to be another game in which the Oklahoma City Thunder are pushed all the way.
One blowout has been recorded by the Thunder, but the rest of this Series has been incredibly competitive and that may not change.
The last twelve Second Round Series that have had a Game 7 has seen the Game 6 winner go 10-2 against the spread, while the favourite is just 4-8 against the spread. The scoring came thick and fast early in Game 6, which contributed to a relatively comfortable 'over', but Game 7s have tended to be tighter affairs and that makes the points being given to the Denver Nuggets all the more appealing.
Avoiding getting into a hole when the Thunder are rolling is key, but enough has been seen from the Nuggets to believe they can keep this competitive and have a late opportunity to perhaps even upset the odds outright.
Prediction
Take the points with the underdog in this Game 7 to be played on Sunday afternoon.
The Pick :
Oklahoma City Thunder 103-101 Denver Nuggets
