The final matchup of a loaded day of NBA action will take place between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s squad looks to have taken things to another level this season and this is an intriguing Western Conference battle.
Oklahoma City enters with a 45-10 record which leads the Western Conference. In contrast, the Timberwolves have taken a step back this season after the offseason decision to trade away Karl-Anthony Towns. They enter this matchup with a record of 31-26 which puts them in seventh place in the conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the driving force of the team’s growth climbing to the MVP favorite this season. He is averaging a league-leading 32.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds while impacting the game at a high level defensively.
The Thunder enter this matchup as 8.5-point favorites and -375 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Timberwolves hold +295 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 228.5.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alecander prop bets ahead of the Sunday night matchup.
Best Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s props are listed at over/under 30.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers and 41.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 30.5 Points (-115)
There is no doubt the caliber of scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become. The Thunder star is leading the NBA in scoring with 32.2 points per game and is a true three-level scorer. He has recorded over 30.5 points in 31 of the 54 games he has played this season.
While he will continue to be at the epicenter of Oklahoma City’s offensive attack, this is a tough matchup for both Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder. Minnesota ranks fifth in opponents’ points allowed, eighth in opponents’ field goal percentage, and fifth in opponents’ three-point percentage. It should be noted that Rudy Gobert will miss tonight’s game due to injury which changes the makeup of the defense. However, this is more of a shift in strengths and weaknesses with Gobert having his defensive flaws in addition to his clear strengths.
This will be the third matchup between these two teams this season with Gilgeous-Alexander dropping 40 points and 24 points in these games. The Thunder star is coming off back-to-back performances in which he has been held under 30.5 points and shot a combined 13-for-37 (35.1%) from the floor in these matchups. Whether this is tired legs showing up or Gilgeous-Alexander just in a bit of a shooting slump, don’t expect the Minnesota defense to serve as the cure.
Expect a clear effort to get the ball out of Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands and make other guys beat them. While the Thunder can certainly win by taking this exact route, don’t count on there being the opportunity for one of his best scoring outputs tonight. Look for him to be held under 30.5 points in this Western Conference battle for just the 24th time this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 1.5 Made Three-Pointers (-125)
One area where there is some value in Gilgeous-Alexander’s props is for him to connect with over 1.5 made three-pointers in the matchup. Perimeter shooting is not at the top of the list when discussing his best offensive qualities. However, the three-time All-Star is a true three-level scorer who is more than capable from beyond the arc, and expect preventing his attacks at the rim to be the biggest focus of the Timberwolves.
On the season, Gilgeous-Alexander is attempting a career-high 5.7 three-point attempts and connecting at a 35.7% rate. This comes out to an average of 2.0 made three-pointers per game and he has connected on over 1.5 perimeter shots in 31 games this year. This includes one of the two matchups with the Timberwolves already this year. Gilgeous-Alexander has shot 3-for-5 and 1-for-2 from beyond the three-point arc in these two games.
Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to continue being comfortable with launching from the perimeter in this game. The three-point shot has taken over the NBA and every star player must prove to be effective from this part of the floor. Gilgeous-Alexander has embraced this challenge and look for him to continue making an example of it tonight against the stingy TImberwolves defense.
