Feb 24, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) drives to the basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the second half at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Wolves open as clear underdogs in both Game 1 and series against Thunder

Originally posted on Minnesota Timberwolves on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated May 18, 2025 6:52 PM ET

Unsurprisingly, the Timberwolves have opened as fairly significant betting underdogs against the Thunder in both Game 1 on Tuesday night and the Western Conference Finals as a whole.

Oklahoma City, who advanced with a Game 7 blowout over the Nuggets on Sunday, is -375 to win the series at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Wolves are +300, which is an implied 25 percent chance to advance to the NBA Finals.

In Game 1, despite the Wolves' four-day rest advantage, the Thunder have opened as 7.5-point favorites. Minnesota is +250 on the moneyline for that game, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Among the four teams remaining — the Thunder, Wolves, Knicks, and Pacers — OKC is the clear favorite to win the title. The Thunder are -185 to win the championship, with the Knicks at +490, the Wolves at +600, and the Pacers at +800 (all odds from FanDuel). Similarly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a -175 favorite to win NBA Finals MVP, followed by Jalen Brunson (+550), Anthony Edwards (+700), and Tyrese Haliburton (+1000).

The last four teams in the playoffs:

OKC - 0 championships
MIN - 0 championships
IND - 0 championships
NYK - 2 championships (last in 1973)

We’re going to witness a team winning a championship for the first time or for the first time in 52 years pic.twitter.com/njKsoOFgAa
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) May 18, 2025

The Thunder went 68-14 in the regular season, posting the best average point differential (and the second-best net rating) of any team in NBA history. They then swept the No. 8 seed Grizzlies before needing seven games to beat the Nuggets in the second round.

The Timberwolves and Thunder split a four-game series during the regular season, which included a 24-point fourth quarter comeback by Minnesota in the most recent meeting in late February. Three of those four games happened in February and were played without Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, or Donte DiVincenzo.

These look like the two best teams in the Western Conference, so this should be an entertaining series. As the odds suggest, the Wolves will need to play very well to pull off the upset and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.