NBA betting: Bets that stand out for Timberwolves-Thunder Game 1

The Western Conference finals tip off Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and feature two teams led by young stars looking for their first NBA Finals appearance. Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves return to the Western Conference finals after last year's run, but in their way are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Timberwolves closed out the Golden State Warriors in five games, and they come in as the more well-rested team, with the Thunder being forced to go all seven games to dispatch the Denver Nuggets.

Here are some of the bets that stand out for Tuesday night's game.

Odds are as of publication time. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET

Anthony Edwards under 25.5 points (-120). Edwards hasn't been an elite scorer this postseason, as he's gone under this line in six of his past 10 games, despite averaging 21.1 FGA and 40.0 MPG. The Thunder have been a defensive juggernaut, leading the league in defensive rating during the regular season and that dominance has continued in the playoffs. Oklahoma City also has the personnel to limit Edwards on the offensive end. He's gone under this line in six of his past eight games against the Thunder, including three of four this season. -- Moody

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 31.5 points (-115). Gilgeous-Alexander has consistently produced monster games against the Timberwolves. In their last eight matchups, going back to last season, SGA has averaged 34.5 PPG, with at least 32 points scored in seven of the eight games. The Timberwolves have strong perimeter defenders, but they do better against bigger wings than scoring point guards. Plus, interesting side nugget, the Timberwolves feature Nickeil Alexander-Walker in their rotation. SGA always tends to show out against his slightly younger cousin with at least 32 points in nine of his past 10 games against Alexander-Walker's squads going back to 2021. -- Snellings

Naz Reid over 17.5 points, rebounds and assists (-105). Reid will play a key role in this series thanks to his playmaking ability and defensive versatility. The Thunder are tough defensively, especially in the paint, which could make life difficult for Rudy Gobert. However, that should create more opportunities for Reid with open jumpers. He's the type of player who can take defenders off the dribble, finish at the rim, go one-on-one or knock down threes. Reid has gone over this line in 36 of 45 games when playing 23 or more minutes alongside Edwards and Julius Randle. -- Moody

Timberwolves +7.5 over Thunder (-120). Game 1s are always interesting, particularly when one team has plenty of rest and the other is coming off a seven-game series. The rest vs rust debate is real and we won't really know for sure how it lands until the ball tips. That said, I project this to be a very even matchup and 7.5 points is too large for either team to be favored by. Since March 1, including the playoffs, the Thunder (28-6) and Timberwolves (25-6) have the two best records in the NBA. In their last eight matchups, spanning the last two seasons, the two teams have split it down the middle with four wins and four losses each. In their four games this year, the Timberwolves have averaged 118.8 PPG and the Thunder 118.0 PPG. In a toss-up situation, give me the team that is getting 7.5 extra points. -- Snellings

Projections and injury reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

All times ET.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder
8:30 p.m.

Line: Timberwolves +7.5 (-120) | Thunder -7.5 (EVEN)
Money line: Timberwolves +230 | Thunder -280
Total: 217.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 6.2, straight up 70%, 215.7 total points.

Injury Report:
Timberwolves: None reported
Thunder: Nikola Topic, (OFS - Knee)