If Monday night was any indication of how the NBA Western Conference Finals will play out, basketball fans across the country are in for a treat. The Spurs outlasted the Thunder in a double-overtime Game 1 thriller in Oklahoma City.
At 22 years of age, Victor Wembanyaman became the youngest player ever to record over 40 points and 20 rebounds in an NBA playoff game. Wemby’s performance was dominant from inside the paint as he drove for one-handed slams or posted up to tip in his teammates’ failed shots. The French superstar even made a pivotal 3-pointer during the first overtime period – with less than 30 seconds on the game clock – by sinking a 28-footer to tie the game.
Kalshi forecasters who were streaming Game 1 live got their money’s worth in terms of entertainment value, regardless of the yes/no outcome of their predictions. And despite the Spurs’ inspirational Game 1 victory, predictions for a Game 2 Thunder win that exceeds 6.5 points are currently priced at 51 cents.
That O/U lines for each team are a bit more conservative on the nation’s largest prediction market platform. The Spurs have a points line of 105.5 while the Thunder are coming in at 110.5 – with the under priced at just 48 cents.
This is our pick for Game 2 between San Antonio and Oklahoma City, which is slated for 7:30pm local time from the Paycom Center in OKC. There’s plenty of value for the Under 110.5 points on the Thunder side, especially since a second consecutive overtime playoff game is unlikely.
Wembanyama’s Monday night record-setting game has sent sports media outlets into a frenzy. The 7’4” center is now being hailed as the “best player” in the game, a slight that Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will want to address once the action tips-off Wednesday night.
The Thunder have the advantage of experience for the remainder of the NBA Western Conference Finals, but will be wary of falling behind 2-0 against an upstart Spurs squad that is peaking at the right time. The Spurs snapped Oklahoma City’s 9-game playoff win streak (dating back to last year’s Finals against the Pacers) this past Monday.
The Spurs also handed the Thunder their only overtime loss of the season so far. Game 2 is a must-win scenario for the defending NBA champions, who will travel to San Antonio later this week for Games 3 and 4.
There has been significant market movement on the Kalshi prediction market app as it concerns who will win Game 2. Moments after San Antonio clinched Monday night’s contest, the Spurs had a “Yes” victory line that reached as high as 46.5% for Wednesday. That prediction has now come down quite a bit. If you’re making projections on Kalshi, you can get the Spurs to win at 33 cents per contract.
This means that Kalshi forecasters are considering the Spurs to be a 2-to-1 underdog Wednesday night when they return to the Paycom Center. The Thunder’s need to pull out all the stops to secure a victory is simply too great, and Oklahoma City has already proven, through last year’s NBA Finals, that they can deal with high stakes pressure on the court.
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