Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.
The Nuggets can advance to the conference finals with a Game 6 win over the Timberwolves in Thursday's only NBA contest.
We're not playing a side - the Wolves are 2-point home favorites - but we have two player props to target.
Anthony Edwards: Over 29.5 points
Edwards rarely has consecutive subpar games. He scored 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting in the Wolves' Game 5 loss. After finishing with 19 points in Game 3, he produced a 44-point performance in Game 4.
The Nuggets worked out Minnesota's defense and successfully forced Rudy Gobert away from the rim. The Wolves' offense, which has been better in the playoffs than in the regular season, has to carry them to a win to extend their season.
Edwards is the engine, battery, and brakes of Minnesota's offense. If he's not aggressively attacking the rim and shooting efficiently, the Wolves have no chance. Edwards' killer instinct has been on display in marquee moments over the last two years. He's dependable to come through in a big moment.
There's a reason he's drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan in recent weeks, no matter how outlandish that may be. Edwards has scored at least 30 in five of the Wolves' nine playoff games. With their season on the line, Minnesota can count on Edwards to play superman and help save it.
Odds: +100
Rudy Gobert: Under 1.5 blocks
After Nikola Jokic's masterful 40-point Game 5 performance, the Wolves must switch up their defensive plan. They left Gobert in single coverage against Jokic, and the three-time MVP made him look like a high schooler playing against college kids instead of the 7-foot-1 Defensive Player of the Year he is.
Jokic outmuscled and outfinessed his way to the basket for ridiculous floaters and hook shots. Leaving Gobert on an island isn't a recipe for success. Minnesota's game plan should include more doubles to force Jokic to become a passer rather than a scorer. Passing is Jokic's strength, but the Wolves must force the Nuggets' supporting cast to beat them.
With more doubles leading to more Jokic passes, Gobert will have fewer chances to block shots. Plus, the Nuggets have brilliantly kept Gobert away from the rim by using various ball-handlers and screeners in the pick-and-roll, leading to fewer swat attempts. Gobert has only recorded two or more blocks twice this series.
Odds: +130
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
