At the beginning of the season, there were 30 teams that were vying for an NBA championship. Now, only four teams remain.
The Eastern Conference and the Western Conference Finals are set. The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West. In the East, the New York Knicks take on the Indiana Pacers. Which teams will make the Finals? Looking at the early markets, which way should you go to make winning NBA picks at the top-rated sportsbooks?
Picks Summary:Â
- Minnesota Timberwolves To Win the Series (+280)
- New York Knicks To Win by the Correct Series Result of 4-3 (+350)
*All odds from BetMGM (check our BetMGM Review)
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 – 08:30 PM EDT at Paycom Center
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been the legend killers. First they knocked out LeBron James and Luka Doncic, then they finished off Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. Now they face another young, up-and-coming team, one with maybe even more pedigree.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were tested but made a statement in their seven-game series win over the Denver Nuggets. After cruising to a first-round sweep, the Thunder looked shaky in their series against the Nuggets, but had an emphatic Game 7 win to show the world that they are the team that should be the rightful favorite to be the NBA champions.
Now Comes the Real Test
These teams played three times over an 11-day span in and out of the all-star break.
The Timberwolves won two of those games, including a 131-128 win in overtime in their most recent matchup. In that game, the Timberwolves overcame a 25-point deficit to get the win. It was marked by an Anthony Edwards blocked shot over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 13 seconds remaining in overtime.
The Timberwolves will have more rest coming into this series, but the Thunder have been much better all season.
Both teams sport depth, but the Timberwolves have a little bit more size. The Timberwolves out-rebounded the Thunder in each of the last three times they faced off. The Timberwolves will look to control the glass if they’re going to get the upset over the number one seed.
The Pick
The Minnesota Timberwolves are being overlooked here when it comes to the pricing in the market.
Yes, the Thunder have been impressive, but these teams are not nearly as great as these prices suggest. The Minnesota Timberwolves can match the Thunder in every department. The Timberwolves have the ability to play defense, score in the half court, and will have the rebounding advantage.
Take advantage of a mispriced market. Take the Minnesota Timberwolves to win the series.
NBA Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves To Win the Series (+280) at BetMGM
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 – 08:00 PM EDT at Madison Square Garden
Two teams with exceeded expectations have a chance at the NBA Finals when this series starts on Wednesday night.
Indiana Turns Up the Tempo
The Pacers were significant underdogs but looked dominant on the offensive and defensive ends against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
One thing that stood out against Cleveland was the Pacers’ ability to fatigue their opponents using their relentless pace of play. Indiana gets the ball going up the court quickly on every single missed shot, they are constantly in transition.
Even on made baskets, Indiana gets the ball up quickly and is constantly looking to attack the basket. This relentless attack can cause fatigue, and this fatigue led Cleveland to make plenty of bad decisions, including abandoning their team-oriented offense for isolation ball. The Pacers will look to use the same formula against the Knicks.
Regular-Season Edge
The Knicks do match up well with the Pacers because of their strong individual defenders.
The regular season results favor the Knicks, as they were able to win two out of the three matchups. Their most recent meeting was a 128-115 Knicks win on February 11th in Indiana.
The Knicks will look to build upon that regular-season success against an opponent who will severely test the limits of their defense. One advantage for the Knicks is that they will have Mitchell Robinson, who missed all three regular-season games, back in the lineup. Even though Robinson doesn’t put up huge numbers in the box score, his defensive presence, ability to box out and switchability on defense are huge factors in the Knicks’ success.
The Pick
I like the Knicks here to win a close series.
Indiana will be able to get out to a big lead and run away with some games, especially those played on Indiana’s home court of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. However, the Knicks’ advantage in Game 7 in Madison Square Garden will be too much.
The New York Knicks are returning to the NBA Finals. Back them to win by the correct series result of 4-3.
NBA Pick: New York Knicks To Win by the Correct Series Result of 4-3 (+350) at BetMGM
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
