Top 3 NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (5/16)
The National Basketball Association has a single playoff game on the slate for Thursday night. The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves battle in the Twin Cities at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It’s an elimination game, too, as the Timberwolves won the first two games in Denver, but the defending NBA champions have won the past three games.
Let’s keep working on building that bankroll for the rest of the NBA playoffs with our best bets for Thursday, May 16.
Thursday’s Best NBA Bets
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Denver Nuggets (+112) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (-132) | O/U 205 (-112/-108)
First and foremost, the Nuggets have all of the momentum now. The Timberwolves won the first two games in the Mile High City, and it looked like it might be curtains for the Nuggets. However, they showed their championship mettle, not only winning both road games in Minnesota to even the series but turning the tables with a win in Game 5 to push the Timberwolves to the brink of elimination.
I expect the T-Wolves to come out with some fire and passion with their backs against the walls. America has been formally introduced to Anthony Edwards as the casual fan gets to know what many NBA enthusiasts and bettors have known for a while. He’s good.
However, the Timberwolves have to be emotionally drained. Going from the highs of winning Games 1 and 2 in Denver to fumbling away the series with three straight losses. Doubt has to be creeping in now, as Minnesota had the champs against the fence, looking to get Denver to tap out. But instead, the Timberwolves are now trying to fight off being choked out. All the momentum is with Denver, and seeing the Nuggets at plus-money on the moneyline is a bit surprising. Take advantage.
As far as the total is concerned, we’ve had three straight wins by Denver and three straight Over results. In Minnesota’s two wins on the road, the Under cashed in each outing, as the defending champs averaged just 89.5 points per game.
The Denver offense has been rolling again, going for 112 or more points in the past three victories. The books haven’t adjusted the total much, bumping it up to 205 from 204 in Game 5. We had 209 combined points in Game 5, 222 combined points in Game 4 in the Twin Cities and 207 combined points in Game 3. Look for around 212-215 combined points in this elimination game as the Nuggets sweat out a close, knockout blow in Game 6.
Bet: Nuggets Moneyline (+112) & Over 205 (-112)
Same-Game Parlay
- Leg 1: Nuggets Moneyline (-104)
- Leg 2: Under 215.5 (-110)
- Leg 3: Anthony Edwards To Score 25+ Points (-340)
If you’re building a Same-Game Parlay (SGP), other analysts are assigned to help you with that here at BettingPros. Still, if you were to take the Nuggets ML, Over 205 and Anthony Edwards To Score 25+ Points (-340), that makes for quite an impressive SGP, giving you a chance to more than triple up.
Edwards averaged 25.9 PPG during the regular season, and he scorched Denver for 43 points in a Game 1 win, and he dropped 44 points on 16-of-25 shooting, including five 3-pointers, in Game 4. He has 27 or more points in three of the five games in this series. He laid an egg in Game 5, hitting just 5-of-15 from the field and 1-of-5 from downtown. It’s win or go home, and I think Edwards does everything in his power to keep his team’s season alive and extend this series. Although, ultimately, I think this is the end of the road.
Total Parlay Odds: +356
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.