Timberwolves vs. Thunder Western Conference Finals Preview: Best Bets and Predictions

The Minnesota Timberwolves will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Minnesota is looking to advance to its first NBA Finals in franchise history. Anthony Edwards and company are nonetheless suited for the stage after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, ultimately falling to the Dallas Mavericks.

Oklahoma City last made it to the NBA Finals in 2012, but this marks the first conference finals rodeo for many of the young Thunder players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Will the more experienced or the more talented team win out? Let's break down the matchup and find out which bets stand out for this MIN-OKC series.

All NBA betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder Western Conference Finals Betting Odds

It's no surprise the Thunder (-375) are the resounding favorite to win this series and advance to the NBA Finals. After all, they went a league-best 68-14 in the regular season and just took down Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. That series did, however, expose a few of OKC's faults.

Are the Timberwolves a strong enough group to challenge them, or will the chalk keep on rolling?

Best Bets for Timberwolves vs. Thunder in the Western Conference Finals

Timberwolves to Win the Series (+300)

There's no denying Minnesota is facing an uphill battle, but I believe they have a higher chance of advancing than these +300 odds (25.0% implied probability) suggest.

For one, the Wolves have postseason experience on their side after competing in the Western Conference Finals in 2024. Dating back to 2012, 21 out of the last 26 teams to reach the NBA Finals had -- at minimum -- made it to the conference finals in one of the three seasons prior.

OKC's lack of playoff experience showed itself in the second round when a hobbled Nuggets group took them to seven games. The Thunder eventually met the task at hand, but rookie mistakes might no longer be tolerated at this stage of the playoffs.

Minnesota has gone 4-0 in clutch games this postseason. They can throw either of Jaden McDaniels or Nickeil Alexander-Walker at SGA and have been getting about as much as you can ask from Julius Randle of late. On top of that, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid offers Minnesota the ability to go big or small at will, and head coach Chris Finch is a guy you want making those decisions.

We'll probably see at least one game this series where the Thunder boat race the Wolves and once again prove why they are the best team in the NBA. But all things considered, the margin between these teams in a seven-game series could be closer than the market thinks.

Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Combine for 10+ Assists in Every Game (+270)

FanDuel Sportsbook has a crop of MIN vs. OKC - Player Series Specials available, and my favorite option features the combined playmaking skills of Ant-Man and SGA.

Edwards averaged 4.5 assists per game in the regular season but -- just like last postseason (6.5) -- is seeing an uptick in assists per game (5.9) in the playoffs. He logged a playoff-high 12 assists his last time out.

Gilgeous-Alexander amassed 6.4 assists in the regular season and has held true to that exact average during these playoffs. He dished out at least six dimes in six out of seven games in the second round.

OKC and Minnesota played each other three times in the span of two weeks back in February. Edwards logged 7, 7, and 8 assists in those games while SGA churned out 8, 8, and 9 dimes.

With neither player particularly foul prone, we should expect both of these stars to log heavy minutes for the duration of this series. There's a chance we get a blowout game -- more likely than not delivered by the Thunder -- but that would correlate with SGA dealing, just like he did in Game 2 of the second round (8 assists in 30 minutes).

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You’ll receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your first $5+ bet wins! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking for the latest NBA odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NBA betting options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.