The last game of the Semi-Final round is upon us, and we have seen all sorts of turns and twists already. But the ride is just at the midway point. Bettors have a lot to look forward to in the ever-exciting playoff field. In this piece, you can get an idea bout the best bets for the May 18, 2025, action.
The days of double-header actions are gone for the season. Now, it will all be solitary affairs. Here in this Game 7 battle, the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Denver Nuggets to decide the fate of an exciting Western Conference Semi-Finals series. Which team will minimize its errors to seal the West Finals spot?
Here are your NBA best picks for 05/18/2025 on BetMGM and FanDuel.
Murray is one of the biggest reasons why the Nuggets have been able to stay afloat in the series. He has done a wonderful job of taking brave shots when Nikola Jokic has misfired. The guard has attempted 19 or more shots in three of the last four games, and has scored 25 or more in each of these games.
Thus, he has gone over the stipulated projections on all these occasions. During Game 5 in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s home floor, he rose up for 28 points, but had a struggling 10/27 night. I expect a much more efficient performance from him and see him getting in the 22-25 range.
The bookmakers have assigned the lowest identical odds to the total for Game 7. They expect the teams to put on their best defense since it is the deciding game. During Game 6, they allotted identical odds around 217-218 points, but the total went to 226.
It broke a three-game streak where the total had gone “under” the projections. However, I see the series ending on a high-scoring note, with the total just passing the 215 mark.
Bet #3: Player Rebounds: Chet Holmgren O 9.5 (-118 at BetMGM)
Holmgren is having a terrific series on both ends. He has helped cover the gaps generated by the inefficiency of the team’s second scoring option, Jalen Williams. His work on the boards can’t be lauded enough.
The Thunder PF is averaging 10.8 RPG during the series, significantly higher than his regular-season average of 8 RPG. The two-way forward has pinned down 11 or more boards in four of the six games, going “Over” the projection in each case. I see him repeat his heroics in Game 7, too.
Bookmakers have struggled to nail their predictions in the postseason as higher seeds have lost often. But the total/score predictions have been rather spot-on. Thus, exercise caution when going by their projections when it comes to the spread, but be more assured when opting for the total.
On the other hand, player props have seen numerous conservative estimates. Thus, going “Over” has yielded some substantial gains.
Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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