The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets are tied 2-2 and will face off in a pivotal Game 5 tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Nuggets, who lost Games 2 and 4, are in a must-win situation against the No. 1 seed.
Denver’s best player, Nikola Jokic, is coming off a 27-point performance with 13 rebounds but has shot it at a poor 39 percent in this series against Oklahoma City. Jokic’s scoring has been up and down this postseason, as he hasn’t scored 27 points in back-to-back games. Here is my favorite prop bet for Jokic against the Thunder tonight.
Nikola Jokic over 2.5 Steals + Blocks (-135)
Jokic is averaging 24.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game this postseason while shooting 45 percent from the field. All of those stats are his lowest since the 2021-22 playoffs. With Jokic’s inconsistencies scoring the ball in the playoffs and against the Thunder, let’s look at a different area.
Even though Jokic isn’t known for his defense, he has improved and has impacted the game with steals and blocks lately. He has totaled three or more steals and blocks in seven of his previous eight games. You can get Jokic’s over in steals and blocks at -135 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Jokic has reached this mark in six of his last eight games against the Thunder and 15 times in his previous 20 games. In the postseason, Jokic is averaging the most steals per game among centers (2.2) and sixth in blocks (1.0). 85.5 percent of teams that win Game 5 after being tied 2-2 end up winning the series. Jokic only finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block in his last game at OKC. If the former champions want to keep their season alive, Jokic must deliver a well-balanced performance in Game 5.
