Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Pick & Prediction 3/9/25
At 1:00 ET, the Thunder (-303) will host the Nuggets (+249) in a Western Northwest Division matchup. Oklahoma City is favored by 8 and the over/under line is 240.
Denver (41-22) is currently 2nd in the Western Conference and the Northwest Division. They have won two straight games. The Thunder (52-11) are 1st in the West and the Northwest. They have won six straight games.
DENVER NUGGETS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BETTING PICK
The Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -8
This game will be played at Paycom Center at 1:00 ET on Sunday, March 9th.
WHY BET THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 139-123 in favor of the Thunder.
- Our projections have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing with 31 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Thunder finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.7% and knocking down 16 threes.
Will Denver Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?
The Nuggets improved to 41-22 on the season after a 149-141 win over the Suns on Friday. Denver was at home and entered the game as -9 point favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 290, well over the pre-game line of 242.5.
Denver took control early, leading 37-28 after the 1st quarter and extending their lead to 102-91 by the end of the 3rd. However, the Suns made a push in the 4th, outscoring the Nuggets 34-23 in the final period.
The Nuggets poured in 149 points in their win over the Suns, shooting 58.8% from the field and hitting 21 threes at a 52.5% clip. Nikola Jokić led the way with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 22 assists, while Aaron Gordon added 27 points, knocking down 7 threes at 70%.
Christian Braun contributed 25 points, hitting 4 threes at 80%, including 9 points in overtime. Jokić also added 5 points in the extra period, while Jamal Murray scored 6 of his 19 points in OT.
Despite giving up 141 points, the Nuggets managed to pull off a win against the Suns. They allowed 28 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters but struggled more in the 3rd and 4th, giving up 35 and 34 points, respectively.
The Suns shot 56% from the field, including 42% from beyond the arc, where they hit 16 threes. Denver sent Phoenix to the line 29 times, where they made 23 free throws. The Nuggets finished with 30 defensive rebounds, 8 steals, and 3 blocks.
Will Oklahoma City Find a Way to Win at Home?
With a 107-89 win over the Trail Blazers on Friday, the Thunder improved to 52-11 this season. Oklahoma City, favored by 1.5 points, covered the spread at home. The game’s total points of 196 fell well short of the 228-point over/under line.
A key 12-0 run early in the game helped the Thunder take control, and they extended their lead by outscoring Portland 34-21 in the 2nd quarter. After a 3rd quarter where the Blazers outscored them 28-17, the Thunder clamped down defensively, holding Portland to 16 points in the 4th quarter while scoring 27 to seal the win.
Aaron Wiggins led the Thunder with 30 points in their win over the Trail Blazers, shooting 50% from the field. Alex Caruso added 17 points, hitting 75% of his shots, and Ousmane Dieng contributed 16 points, making 4 threes at a 66.7% rate.
Oklahoma City made 14 threes, shooting 36.8% from deep and 46.4% overall. Wiggins scored 10 points in the 2nd quarter, while Caruso added 10 in the 4th. Isaiah Joe also had 11 of his 16 points in the 2nd quarter.
The Thunder put on a defensive clinic on Friday, holding the Trail Blazers to just 89 points. Oklahoma City gave up 24 points in the 1st quarter but tightened up in the 2nd, allowing only 21. They had their best defensive effort in the 4th, where they gave up just 16 points.
Overall, the Thunder held Portland to 34% shooting from the field, including just 18% from beyond the arc, as the Blazers made only 8 threes. Oklahoma City also recorded 12 steals and 8 blocks in the game.