NBA Player Props & Bets: Tuesday (Timberwolves vs. Thunder)
The Western Conference Finals start on Tuesday, with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder are favored despite having only one day of rest between Game 7 of their series against the Denver Nuggets and Tuesday's game.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves haven't played since May 14th, so they'll be well-rested with almost a week off.
What should we expect from star players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards? Can Naz Reid find his stroke from beyond the arc?
Here are the three best NBA player props for Tuesday, May 20th.
Tuesday’s Best NBA Playoffs Player Prop Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 35+ Points (+155)
Fatigue may play a factor in this game, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters on fire. He's scored at least 31 points in three consecutive games, and he dropped 35 in Game 7. He averaged 29.7 points per game against the Nuggets, despite having an 18-point performance early in the series, as he scored at least 31 in four of the five games.
On Tuesday, Gilgeous-Alexander's line is set at 31.5. While I love that number, I'm going to take a chance on a higher number for a better price. Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the Timberwolves during the regular season. He scored at least 37 in three of his four games against them, shooting better than 50% from the floor in each of those contests. Defenses have tightened up in the postseason, but that hasn't bothered Gilgeous-Alexander at all. That won't change on Tuesday.
Anthony Edwards Over 39.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-105)
Anthony Edwards put up solid numbers against the Thunder during the regular season, but he failed to consistently excel in any particular category. He had at least seven assists in three games, but in the fourth, he had just two. He pulled down at least 10 rebounds in two of the four games, but managed only seven in the other two. And when it came to scoring, he was all over the map, as his totals ranged from 17 to 29.
Despite his inconsistency, Edwards still managed to get close to this total in three of the four games. In one of those three contests, he went for 46, while in the other two, he went for 37 and 38.
Edwards is going to be well-rested for Tuesday's game, and that's going to be a huge factor. He's played at least 40 minutes in seven of his 10 playoff games, and with this contest likely to be close, I expect him to hit that number again. He never played more than 40 in a game against the Thunder this season, yet still put up solid numbers. He'll get to at least 40 combined points + assists + rebounds with the extra minutes.
Naz Reid Over 2.5 Three-Pointers Made (+180)
Reid started the series against the Golden State Warriors red-hot, but cooled off considerably in the final two games. Reid made three three-pointers in each of the first three games of the series, then went just 1-of-5 combined in the final two. He saw similar issues in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers, when he made six three-pointers in Game 1, then never made more than two again.
However, I love Reid to make at least three shots from beyond the arc on Tuesday because of the success he had against the Thunder during the regular season. In his last three games against them, he's made at least two threes, knocking down three in two of those contests. You could take him to go over 1.5 made three-pointers on Tuesday, but the price is an expensive -145. Therefore, I'll take a chance on him hitting at least three, because the Thunder defense hasn't bothered him at all this season.
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.