Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second consecutive NBA MVP award this weekend, collecting 83 of 100 first-place votes and finishing with 958 total points in the voting. Victor Wembanyama finished 3rd in the voting, behind Jokic, and trailed by over 300 points in the final tally.

SGA led the Oklahoma City Thunder to 64 wins while averaging 31.1 points per game on 66.5% true shooting with a 36% usage rate, becoming the first guard in NBA history to average 30 points on 55% shooting. He also won Clutch Player of the Year and joins an exclusive group of 14 players who have won back-to-back MVP awards, the first Canadian to do so since Steve Nash.

Wembanyama won Defensive Player of the Year unanimously and posted a defensive rating of 99.67, a number that separates him from everyone else in the league. He led the NBA in blocks, again, and ranked in the 98th percentile for points and 97th for rebounds among bigs, and his net rating with San Antonio this postseason has been +21.9 per 100 possessions.

The voters prioritized wins and offensive brilliance over defensive dominance this year, which is completely reasonable given SGA's historic efficiency. It is also worth acknowledging that Wembanyama is still 22 years old and just finished third in MVP voting while winning the league's top defensive award. The trajectory here is not subtle. The future of the NBA is 7’ 4” and plays for the Spurs.

It’s a perfectly timed announcement because now we get to see these two square off in the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City opened as a significant series favorite at -260 despite San Antonio owning the head-to-head advantage. The Spurs won the regular season series four games to one. 

It’s the MVP against a likely future MVP with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake. Buckle up!

🏀 WNBA is Back. Are You Ready to Bet It?

Stop guessing on WNBA player props. Pine’s WNBA Sheet gives you everything you need to find the best bets before tip-off:

Projections – See Jaxon's player prop projections alongside live over/under odds
Hit Rate – Track how consistently each player has hit their props over their recent games
Historical Data – Dig into season trends to find the spots the market is sleeping on
Best Odds – Shop the sharpest lines without leaving the sheet

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🏀 Western Conference Finals Begin: Props on Both Sides

The Western Conference Finals tip off Monday night with San Antonio heading to Oklahoma City as 6.5-point underdogs. The Spurs went 4-1 against the Thunder in the regular season, OKC enters with a perfect 8-0 postseason record and the best defense in basketball. Something has to give.

Rather than picking a side, Jaxon surfaced compelling props on both teams that reflect how each team needs to perform to cover.

👉️ Stephon Castle Player Prop

Oklahoma City's defense shuts down transition better than anyone in the league, which means San Antonio will be grinding through halfcourt sets for most of the night. Castle is the engine that makes that offense function. His assist percentage of 34.5% drives the Spurs' halfcourt attack, and he has averaged 27 combined points and assists over his last five games while hitting this prop at a 69.6% rate on the season.

He both scores and creates, and if the Spurs keep this game competitive, Castle's dual-threat production will be one the primary reasons.

👉️ De'Aaron Fox Player Prop

Fox has scored 16 or more points in every single one of his last five games and 90% of his last ten, averaging 19.2 during that recent stretch. His season-long hit rate on this prop sits at 60%, and his usage rate ensures the volume will be there regardless of game flow.

Against the best defense in the league, Fox's ability to attack off the dribble and generate his own shot is exactly what San Antonio needs to prevent OKC from turning this into a blowout. He has the resilience to produce even when the defensive attention is suffocating.

👉️ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Player Prop

With Jalen Williams back healthy, SGA has a reliable finisher to distribute to when San Antonio's defense collapses on his drives. He has hit this prop in 80% of his last ten games, averaging 7.6 per contest during that stretch.

The Spurs defend by staying attached to shooters rather than gambling for steals, which opens passing lanes for a facilitator of SGA's caliber. His assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 3-to-1 means the volume comes without the risk. The more weapons OKC has available, the higher SGA's assist ceiling climbs.

Three props for what should be one of the best matchups of the entire postseason. Get these in before tip-off!

🌲 The Pine Line

⛳️ Nobody expected Aaron Rai to be the last man standing. The putt he made to do it was just as improbable.

💸 Parlay bettors have lost an absurd amount of money on Kalshi. Look at the numbers behind how fast money disappears.

🏈 We’ll see a familiar reunion in Pittsburgh this season. Maybe his old coach can get through to him one more time.

🥊 Rousey showed again why she’s one of MMA’s greatest. Her return to the octagon lasted exactly 17 seconds.

🏀 A stat correction helped Caitlin Clark break a WNBA record. Her next game left nothing in doubt.

🏒 Previewing Game 7 between Buffalo and Montreal

by Ed Egros 👉️ Follow on X @EdWithSports

Game 7 between the Canadiens and Sabres begins at 7:30p.m. ET Monday.  I underlined the time because in four of six games this series, the first goal was scored within the first two minutes of the hockey game.

That's 7:30p.m. ET Monday.

Why So Many Goals?

The power play has had a lot to do with these offensive explosions.  

Montreal has been exceptional in preventing the opposition from clearing the puck, keeping it in the offensive zone at a 64.6% clip, the highest rate these playoffs.  

The Sabres are averaging nearly 15 penalty minutes per 60 these playoffs, the second-highest rate in the NHL.  Generate enough opportunities and good things will happen.

Will That Trend Continue?

Though the study is more than a decade old, referees tend to call penalties at half the rate in a Game 7 than they normally would the rest of the series.  

As long as I’ve been covering hockey, when it comes to overtime, skaters are more risk averse, meaning they are more worried about being the reason they lose the game, rather than focusing on being the hero.  

It’s also possible the sport doesn’t want an entire series to hinge on one call that could’ve gone either way.  

And What About the Goalies?

Netminders for both teams have been unpredictable, but could be great if not facing as much activity in the crease.  

Money Puck says Jakub Dobes for the Canadiens has the second-most goals saved above expected in these playoffs.  As for the Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, he might be inconsistent, but he’s come through with several high-danger saves in high-leverage spots this series, including in relief in Game 6.

Low Total

This trend explains why, in a series with tons of goals, the total is only 5.5 on FanDuel, juiced to the under.  

Jaxon and I also like the under.  There’s been enough physical play to suggest a slower tempo with fewer scoring chances.  Perhaps unbelievably, these two teams also ranked outside the top ten in high-danger shots on goal in the regular season.  

Canadiens at Sabres U5.5 Total Goals (-128)

The game could truly tilt either way, but taking Montreal +1.5 on the puck line at -250 is not a good payout.  What is bankable is expecting fewer than 5.5 goals.  

As for other bets, here’s what Jaxon and I recommend:

Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo) O0.5 Points (+140)

The Sabres’ captain has tallied at least one point in six of his last ten games.  The two-way defenseman has jumpstarted an outstanding transition offense this series.

Dahlin has 14 high-danger shots on goal, one of the higher marks these playoffs.  His passing skills are also more than adequate to where he’ll find a way to record a point in Game 7.

🧀 Stay Sharp with Pine

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