Timberwolves vs Thunder – National Media Picks and Predictions for Western Conference Finals

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made it through the first two rounds of the 2025 NBA Playoffs virtually unscathed, knocking off both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in five games. It’s unlikely their Western Conference Finals series vs the 1-seed Oklahoma City Thunder will play out that way, however.

If you’re a Timberwolves fan trying to make the trip to OKC for games one and/or two, don’t order through TicketMaster, which has geographical restrictions on who can and cannot buy tickets. Read more on that crazy story, HERE.

If Minnesota can grab a road win to start off the Western Conference Finals, as they have done early in each of their previous two series, momentum in this series will change nearly immediately.

Western Conference Finals Picks and Predictions: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder

NBA oddsmakers don’t see that happening, though. All the major sportsbooks have Minnesota as sizable underdogs, not just Tuesday night in game one, but in the series too. And it’s not just Vegas doubting them.

Most national media members have the Thunder advancing to the NBA Finals over the Wolves too, despite this being the ladder’s second-straight trip to the West Finals, not to mention the difficulties OKC had putting away the Nuggets in round two.

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Nonetheless, the vast majority of NBA experts are leaning into the odds, especially at The Athletic and NBA.com, where 15 of 17 pundits are picking the Thunder. Remember, the Minnesota Timberwolves can proved these “experts” wrong, they’ll be off to the first NBA Finals in franchise history.

The immediate storyline in this series is Anthony Edwards vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Those are the two superstars who have the capability of single-handedly dictating the outcome in these Western Conference Finals.

These two split four games during the regular season, but they have not played since February and Julius Randle only played in the first game between the two. And you have to believe the Minnesota Timberwolves are desperate to prove last year’s West Finals were a fluke.

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Over at ESPN, they seem to have believe more in that eventual reality than their colleagues at other national mainstream media outlets. Still, there are more doubters than believers over at ESPN, too. Out of 13 NBA experts at the four-letter network, a whopping FIVE picked the Wolves.